Hope and the Unchangeable Destiny
by thetobimeister
Summary: A new vampires shows up in Mystic Falls with more than a few secrets. A touching story of a mother's love and sacrifice. (Some details may not align entirely with the universe).
1. The Woods

Despicable, relentless winds plagued the outer forest that surrounds the small town of Mystic Falls, Virginia. The cold air that November always brought seemed a bit more callous and fierce, while the conniving trees bent the wind in such a way that ghastly voices could be heard even in the heart of the town.

The unfortunate townspeople who decided to walk about the inner streets of the town felt the undying wind on their faces and quickly rushed to their homes. No one would wish to be caught out on the streets in such weather. To be in the forest would be worse.

Still, there was one person who trudged through the outskirts of the town, acting more like an animal than the girl she was. She panted as if water had never been available in her life, and her eyes were extremely bloodshot. She frequently stopped to lean on a nearby tree, though rest never seemed to help her.

Finally, she fell upon the ground, her shallow breaths quick and horrifying. She cried out for help, but her words only came out of her mouth as thick mist, developed from the cold night. Her hands gripped at the leaf-covered forest floor as she eventually let out a piercing scream. The apathetic night paid no attention to her, except to stay loud and persistent as an unusual individual wandered through the woods.

She arched her back in a desperate response to the pain, lifting her more than a few inches from the ground. She struggled to notice the character that was cautiously observing her, though the echo of his footsteps was blaring loudly into her newly-sensitive ears.

The figure loomed down towards her, gripping one of her arms with considerate force. Through the darkness, his green eyes appeared as only slits in the dead of night, but she had no concern or fear at the moment. Her wild, uncontrollable instincts took hold of her, and she eagerly bit into the arm of the stranger that was offered to her.

Quickly, the blood filled her body, and she felt rejuvenated. But she felt no satisfaction, however, continuing to drink the blood she so inexplicably desired. Her conscience never seemed to stop her, though. It had been so diligent in the past few days, but now it seemed to be resting somewhere it could not be heard.

"Stop." The man's voice was imposing, but she couldn't stand to obey it. She still held the arm to her mouth, looking up at his neck, in which she could hear the rushing blood that flowed in such quantity. Anticipation filled her mind, and she left the arm, moving towards the stranger's neck.

Suddenly, with a brute force she did not expect, the stranger pushed her up against a tree. The sound of cracking bark and hurried breathing from the both of them hardly had an effect on her desire. Like a mad wolf, she lunged herself towards the stranger, intending to drain all of the blood from his body. Yet the stranger had an incredible strength that she could not explain, and, yet again, he pushed her away, this time to the ground, where she lost consciousness to the callousness of that night.


	2. Good Bloody Morning

"Good morning."

The girl awoke abruptly, finding herself in a dim room, with the least bit of orange sunlight entering through the drawn curtains. She looked around, noticing a pair of memorable eyes, displaying a muted friendliness. This familiar character sat by the bed she was curiously lying in, and she quickly started to crawl backwards, pushing herself against the headrest in a frenzied defense.

"Get away from me!" she cried frantically, feeling his informality was quite uncalled for.

"Whoa," he replied with an innocent look, his pointed face rounding out with immense boyishness. "I'm not here to hurt you."

"Who are you?" she asked, her mind in a mess more chaotic than her messy, blond hair and her dirty clothes. "Where am I? How did I get here?"

"Don't you remember anything from last night?" he questioned curiously.

She observed him carefully, even with her thought process in disarray. She noticed his brawny structure and his harmless, yet authoritative green eyes. In a manner that was too slow for her comfort, pieces of memory started to return to her.

"Look, just tell me who you are," she begged, her curiosity and coyness freezing up her mind.

"My name is Stefan Salvatore," he told casually, his attitude very comforting. "You're in Mystic Falls, Virginia. I found you in the forest."

"What?" she questioned, straightening up with a vibrant quickness. "How did I get here?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," he said with slight humor. "Now, please, try to remember anything from before you woke up this morning."

Her eyes darted swiftly about the room as she dashed through her memory, searching for answers. Her heart started to race as her memory became more intact, revealing horrors she hoped weren't her own. It all became incredibly clear, and the man's eyes started to pierce through her recollection.

"I was taken by a man," she explained cautiously, still wondering how her memories could ever be real. "He put me in a room. And…he burned me."

"Burned you?" Stefan asked, looking extremely concerned. "Where?"

She looked at her arms for a moment, still trying to recall where that unforgettable pain had been made. With a slow uncertainty, she carefully brushed her right hand up her left arm, all the way up to her shoulder blade, where she felt the slightly raised mark of a burn.

"May I look?" he queried, rising from his chair and moving towards her.

"Sure," she whispered, feeling a little numb as more memories pieced together in her mind. His light touch on her exposed shoulder hardly affected her, and she stared down at her hands as he studied the markings with much intrigue.

"Do you remember anything else?" he asked, his eyes showing more than a little anxiety.

"He asked me a lot of questions," she continued, abhorring the vision that repaired inside her mind. "Random questions. What my name was. Where I was from. I didn't understand why. And then, he made me…he made me drink his blood."

"You drank his blood?" Stefan questioned, sounding much like an invested scientist.

"I didn't want to," she told him coldly, feeling shivers wandering down her spine. "After that, he stabbed me."

Stefan started to pace around the room, his steady eyes always staring at the floor. The girl gave a hurried look down at her chest, where no puncture, mark, or blood was found. She felt the skin just above her heart for a simple reassurance, but definitely was not satisfied.

"And after that," Stefan suddenly persisted, "what happened?"

"I don't understand," she told in frustration. "I remember waking up in a forest at night. I couldn't find my way to a city or anything. But I found these campers. They let me stay with them for the night. When I woke up, they offered me some eggs and toast for breakfast." She started to shake, feeling a strange, unwanted sensation coming over her. "But I didn't want to eat it. I just smelled…_them_. They smelled so…_good._ Oh, god, I can't stand it-"

"What did you do?" Stefan asked, jumping towards her suddenly, his eyes incredibly severe.

"One cut himself," she told anxiously, a terrible tingling all throughout her body. "There was blood…I wanted to _drink_ it! I wanted it so bad!"

"Calm down," Stefan ordered, his voice intending for the command to help the both of them.

She put her face into her hands and started to sob. Her whole body appeared fragile as her fingers shook rapidly and her tears dripped down her face.

"I ran away," she murmured, accomplishing a bit of might inside of her frenzy. "I couldn't stand myself. I wanted to die."

"Look, you can't think this way," Stefan insisted, sitting down on the side of the bed. "If you want to get through this, you have to be strong."

"Tell me what I am," she demanded impatiently, grabbing his hand with tremendous force.

His eyes stayed connected with her gaze, but his whole emotion shifted. He let out a small sigh, and he appeared apologetic in an angry way, looking as if this whole situation made him terribly furious. But sadness overshadowed his deep regret, and he squeezed her hand comfortingly.

"You're a vampire," he whispered, giving her a soft, assuring stare. "I'm sorry."

"I can't be," she cried delicately, her innocent gaze extremely intimidating. "I just can't be."

"I am a vampire as well," he informed with slight regret. "And so is my brother. We will help you."

"Vampires aren't real," she replied defiantly. "They aren't supposed to be real."

"We are," Stefan corrected sadly.

"I just can't drink blood," she insisted strongly. "I mean…it's cannibalism, isn't it?"

"I drink animal blood," Stefan told, optimism in his voice. "It's not like the movies, trust me."

"I…I can't be a vampire," she repeated, her teary eyes giving him a pathetic look.

"Please, just tell me your name," he requested kindly. "Then you can go into whatever mental state you need to."

"My name is Alex," she answered, her cautious eyes loosing a bit of their defense. "Alex Somers."

"Well, Alex," Stefan started, "you have a few options. You can either wallow in your own sorrow right in this room, or you could follow me into the living room, I can introduce you to my brother, and you can embrace this new lifestyle."

"It's more like a slavery, isn't it?" she said, contempt and pessimism in her voice.

"Please, trust me," he beseeched with a sigh, holding out his hand to her. "This whole thing is going to be a little weird no matter what."

She reluctantly took his outstretched hand and climbed off the bed. Slowly and carefully, he led her out of the room and down a flight of stairs. He frequently looked back at her, as if his gaze could keep her from breaking down any more. And she couldn't help but feel his reassuring eyes built her up gradually.

"Damon," Stefan called, leading Alex into a beautiful, stylish room, filled with plush furniture, book-filled shelves, and a humongous fireplace. The splendor seemed to take her away from her new pain for a moment.

A new character entered the room from an opposing door. He had a dark and sarcastic expression about him, and he caught Alex's attention right away.

There was a magnificence to his face as the fire played shadows against the unique symmetry of his bone structure. His jawbone was incredibly sharp, and it only heightened the display of coldness in his expression. But his sapphire eyes were imposingly different. The emotion inside of them was not obvious at all. There was only a mysterious light that distracted Alex even more.

"Who is this?" Damon asked, his eyebrows raising in an assuming fashion.

"This is Alex," Stefan introduced, a certain discomfort in his voice. "She's a vampire."

"And she was here all night?" Damon continued, looking even more intrigued. "Hmm, Stefan, I'm not sure I heard when Elena ever called your relationship an _open_ one."

"She's a new vampire," Stefan retorted. "I just brought her here to help her."

"So you didn't sleep with her?"

Stefan gave a loud, fuming sigh as he ran his fingers through his auburn hair. After he took a few seconds to calm down, he gave an apologetic look towards Alex and let go of her hand. Damon looked quite entertained.

"Look, Damon, I need to call Bonnie," Stefan informed placidly. "Please don't scare her away."

Reluctantly, Stefan left the room, giving one last reassuring glance towards Alex before she was left alone with the awfully intimidating man before her. She quickly looked down at the floor as she played with her fingers awkwardly. But she couldn't help but look up at Damon, who was staring at her with a small smirk. It was difficult to determine if it was malicious or endearing.

"I'm Damon, Stefan's brother," he told charmingly, holding out his hand to her.

"Alex," she replied shyly, happily accepting the jumbling of her thoughts that his gaze brought her. "Um, you know, I wasn't…with your brother last night."

"I know," Damon chuckled. "I just like to mess with him."

They exchanged a small laugh, and Alex became less hypnotized. She clenched her jaw together as her memories flooded back into her mind, bringing more anger and pain. Damon's expression turned sympathetic.

"I suppose becoming a vampire was not in your plans," he sighed, giving an unsure smile.

"Of course not," she grimaced, looking up at him with tortured eyes. "To drink blood. To kill something, whether it's an animal or a human. It's disgusting. It's scary."

"Trust me," he grinned. "It will get better. You'll see."

"I don't see it right now." She started to pace around the room, looking to the beauty of the scenery to inspire the horrors out of her mind. But she could see her kidnapper fresh in her mind. She could see him as he asked his distracted questions. She could feel the searing pain on her shoulder as he merely leered at her. And where he plunged the knife into her chest, she could feel a terrible prickling.

"Please-"

"Listen, a few days ago, I didn't even think vampires existed!" she exclaimed, her clenched fists shaking slightly. "Then some creep kidnaps me, burns symbols onto my skin, makes be drink his _blood_, and then kills me, and now I _am_ one? It's not fair!"

"It's never fair," he replied with a low growl. "But you just have to deal with it. My brother and I have been this way for over a hundred years. You get used to it."

"Is there any way to kill myself?" she asked, with only the slightest bit of sarcasm. "Or have I been 'blessed' with invincibility?"

"If you keep acting like this, I may get to killing you myself," he sneered menacingly. She quickly stopped trembling and stared at him with obvious fear in her eyes.

Suddenly, Stefan entered the room again, bringing a concerned looking girl with him. She was particularly beautiful, with wavy brunette hair and dark, glowing skin. The girl stared at Alex with much enthrallment.

"Alex, this is Bonnie," Stefan told, walking up to Alex. "She's a witch."

"A witch?" Alex questioned, looking at Bonnie in a abruptly different light. "Now witches are real?"

"Yes," Stefan answered hurriedly. "Alex, I think she should check the burns on your shoulder."

"Alright," Alex agreed, fearing any opposition would bring Damon's wrath.

Alex submissively pulled the loose collar of her shirt away from the burn, and Bonnie was rushed over to observe it in an unrestrained way. There was a constant tension that Alex felt as she recurrently glanced towards Damon, whose dark mood showed no change for the better.

"Um, Stefan, can I talk to you for a moment?" Bonnie asked, starting towards an open door.

"Of course."

The two of them exited into the door, and Alex tried as hard as she could to ignore Damon, who was casually walking around the living room, playing with random trinkets that he spotted. Every few seconds, she could feel his gaze on her, and she blinked hard, hoping everything would just disappear.

"Stefan, it doesn't look good," Bonnie whispered, her voice suddenly perceivable by Alex. The startled girl looked towards the door where Bonnie and Stefan had gone, and she wondered how she could hear such small whispers.

"What is it?" Stefan questioned.

"It's definitely magic, Stefan," Bonnie replied with a sigh. "It's preparation for…a sacrifice."

"A sacrifice?"

"I'm not sure what kind of sacrifice," Bonnie admitted. "I just remember learning about these symbols very briefly. I've never seen them in person."

"What do we do?"

"Listen, maybe she should get used to being a vampire before she learns she's meant for some sort of sacrifice," Bonnie suggested in irritation. "It seems like she's already unstable as it is, and leaving her alone with Damon probably wasn't the best of ideas. Did you see the way they were looking at each other?"

"Yes," Stefan sighed. "I just thought Damon could show a little compassion."

"I can hear you," Damon announced drearily, picking up a dusty picture frame.

"Crap," Stefan whispered. "Alex, can you hear us too?"

"Yes," she answered timidly. "I…I don't know why."

Stefan and Bonnie reentered the room with a repentant and serious spirit between them. Alex wanted to ask them many questions, but Damon was still a daunting presence.

Calmly, Stefan took a phone from his pocket and dialed a quick number. "Elena. Hey, um, could you come over? Bring Caroline, okay? There's a new vampire in town."

"What are you going to do to me?" Alex asked, her immediate fate something she was willing to ignore Damon for.

"I just called my girlfriend," Stefan informed. "She's coming over with her friend. Why don't you girls go out?"

"Go out?" Alex exclaimed, incredible anxiety completely wiping Damon out of her mind. "Weren't you and Bonnie just talking about sacrificing me?"

"No one is going to sacrifice you," Stefan assured protectively. "Everyone here wants to keep you safe. Anyways, those markings may not mean anything."

Bonnie's awkward glances contradicted Stefan's words, but Alex just brushed the whole thing off. She took a deep breath and figured that dying in any sort of way would be beneficial.

"Fine." She stared at the floor with a childlike defiance. "Might as well have a little fun in town before I go to hell."

Damon gave a quiet chuckle, which was quickly silenced by an ominous leer from Stefan. All Alex could do was feel defeated and take Damon's despicable glances and the pitiful stares from Stefan and Bonnie. But as Stefan lead Alex out of the living room, she caught a last glimpse of Damon, who was giving a rather anxious stare. She quickly looked away, trying to decipher his strange behavior.

"Alright, Alex, this is a special ring," he explained, taking an uninteresting silver ring off one of his fingers. "It allows you to go out into the daylight without getting hurt."

"So, it's true?" Alex whispered, the limitations of vampirism giving her a bit of a scare. "We can't be out in sunlight?"

"With these rings we can," he quickly informed. "Soon, I'll have Bonnie make you your own. Until then, you can borrow mine."

"Is this really safe?" she asked, looking out one of the windows of the house sheepishly. "I mean, I couldn't even let go of you last night. Do you think I can be with humans?"

"Caroline will take care of you," he promised. "She's a vampire as well. If anything happens, she'll know what to do."

"Wow, this place is just littered with the undead, isn't it?"

After a few minutes, Elena and Caroline entered the house. Elena, a mildly short, extremely gorgeous brunette immediately gave Stefan a huge hug, while Caroline, a magnificent, blue-eyed girl with long blond hair gave Alex a curious stare.

"Elena, Caroline, this is Alex," Stefan introduced casually. "I found her in the woods last night."

"It's nice to meet you," Elena smiled pleasantly. "What do you want us to do, Stefan?"

"I'm letting her borrow my ring for today," he told. "Maybe you guys could just show her around town."

"Sure," Elena agreed quickly. Her friendly expression showed a bit more worry as she and Stefan exchanged a few glances. It was as if they could read each other's minds.

Caroline stayed a bit more cautious, observing Alex with intense interest. She seemed undisturbed by Stefan's concerned gaze, and Alex felt incredibly awkward taking in the constant gape.

"Okay, Alex," Elena grinned, finally scraping her eyes from Stefan. "Are you ready to go?"

"Um, yeah," Alex informed, following Elena and Caroline as they started out the front door.

The sunlight felt somehow different on her skin. It felt warm and lovely as always, but it was slightly strange, giving a minor tingle on her skin as if it held imminent danger and potential pain. She couldn't tell if this was just a mental fear playing out in a physical form, but she knew that being a vampire wasn't very pleasant so far.

They headed toward a car at the curb, but Alex lagged behind Elena and Caroline in obvious reluctance. As Elena unlocked the car, she gave a worried look to Caroline, and they both stopped in their tracks.

"Is something wrong, Alex?" Elena asked cautiously. "You look a bit scared."

"Listen, I need to get to New York," Alex suddenly whispered, looking back at the Salvatore house vigilantly.

"New York?" Caroline exclaimed, looking quite surprised.

"Brooklyn, specifically," Alex added. "Please, I have to get there."

"Why do you have to go to New York?" Elena questioned. "I mean, can it wait?"

"It can't," Alex insisted in frustration. "Please, just take me there now."

"I don't think we can do that," Elena stressed rapidly. "I mean, you're a new vampire, you don't have control, and Stefan seemed adamant about keeping you safe-"

"Fine then. I'll just take a bus," Alex interrupted furiously.

As she started to walk down the sidewalk, Caroline dashed in front of her with unimaginable speed, being behind Alex one moment and in front of her the next. Alex's eyes widened as Caroline gave a ferocious, defensive look.

"We can't let you do that," Caroline growled.

"Was that…was that super speed?" Alex asked, staring at Caroline with powerful curiosity. "We have super speed?"

"You're not going anywhere," Caroline continued, looking even more ferocious than before.

"Get out of my way," Alex ordered irately, stepping towards Caroline.

"No."

"Caroline, be careful," Elena called cautiously.

"Get out of my way!" Alex repeated, in a stronger tone. She stared into Caroline's eyes viciously, with a glare that showed both anger and threat. Caroline looked thoroughly unconcerned with Alex's ferocity, but, suddenly, her expression showed unexplained pain. She squinted her dark blue eyes and gritted her teeth.

"Caroline, what's wrong?" Elena asked, now sounding quite frightened. "Caroline?"

Still, Caroline's expression never changed, and she continued to stare at Alex, who was starting to look confused. Then Caroline lost all of the personality in her face, and she appeared lifeless. She was like a motionless robot, ready to receive any command given to her.

"Get out of my way," Alex whispered heatedly, her rage still in tact.

With no objection, Caroline quietly stepped to the side, monotonously looking ahead of her. Elena only stood there in suspense, horrified by the new, peculiar nature of Caroline. Alex gave one last look towards Elena before she jetted away down the street, running out of sight.


	3. Family

As twilight descended upon calm Brooklyn, New York, snow started to fall upon a neighborhood on the edge of the city, filled with humble, quiet houses. In the middle of the hushed neighborhood, a small home lodged two inhabitants. One was a small child just shy of the age of two, and the other was a fairly old woman who served as a loving grandmother to the young child. Though she held the toddler with adoration and affection, there was a certain anxiety in her eyes.

The home-dwellers were completely unaware of the dark figure approaching their window. Light blue eyes pierced through the thin glass and watched the family of two as they played with toys and stuffed animals. Powerful tears started to blur the mysterious visitor's vision as she anxiously watched the young girl pounce around the room with excessive energy. She would have laughed at the toddler's adorable smile, but she could only shake with anger and fear as she felt her heart break slowly.

"Alex." The cold air let a sympathetic voice break through the icy atmosphere. There was no break in the misery Alex exuded. She didn't even turn to look at Damon. She couldn't scrape her eyes away from the little girl behind the glass.

"How did you find me?" Alex questioned through her tears.

"I've been following you ever since you left. I had to see where you were going."

They stood there cautiously in the thick air as a strange, suspenseful peace filled the air. The two vampires breathed in the anticipation and dread reluctantly as the atmosphere stood still.

"Damon," she replied shakily. "I can't do this. I just can't."

After a long moment of silence, he stepped closer towards her and gave a sigh. "Who is she?"

"She's my daughter," Alex cried softly, touching her hands to the glass desperately. "My daughter, Damon. Now that I'm like this…now that I'm… Will I ever be able to hold her again?"

Again, Damon seemed speechless, unable to come up with any soothing word. He only moved closer and put his hand on her shaking shoulder. She could feel his uncertain breathing and the disastrous tone in the air. The little girl through the window seemed like the only thing that could make everything better. But, rather, she was more like everything that could do nothing.

"I don't know what to do," Damon told precariously, staring at the child with only half the intensity and devotion Alex had. "But we'll do something, Alex. I promise. We'll try anything."

"She's all I have," Alex sobbed timidly, giving a fervent and fuming stare towards Damon. "Damon, I can't live without her! I can't be this monster anymore!"

"Alex," Damon sighed, pulling the fragile girl into his arms. "I'm sorry. We'll do everything we can."

"I love her so much!" Alex cried, pouring tears onto Damon's shoulder.

As they stood there in the snow, Damon lay his eyes on the beautiful baby girl through the window. Chaos seemed so imminent and imposing, and thoughts were hard to keep straight. Tears soaked into his shirt, and felt like ice-cold anguish on his skin.

"You have a daughter?"

It was the question of the night when Damon and Alex returned. The ambiance held an unresolved disorder among the supernatural and ordinary people in the Salvatore living room.

Elena had asked the inquiry with immense concern, but her vigilance became even stronger with every second of silence. Alex cried softly in the corner of the room, desperately clinging to the arm of a newly sympathetic Damon. Everyone in the room displayed stress, remorse, and honest confusion.

"Her name is Elizabeth," Alex informed with a trembling voice. "I got pregnant in my Junior year of high school."

"Who's the father?" Stefan asked anxiously.

"Stefan, why does that matter?" Damon questioned defensively, his blue eyes flickering between both of Stefan's eyes.

"I just want to know if he'll affect this situation," Stefan replied with an aggravated tone.

"He's an unconcerned idiot," Alex suddenly told with slight fury. "I doubt he'll ever show up again."

"Okay, there are a ton of things to go over right now," Bonnie sighed, looking amongst the group with worried eyes.

"Look, I can't stay this way!" Alex interrupted ardently. "I have to get home to my baby girl. And my mom is probably going mad wondering where I am."

"You _have_ been reported as a missing person," Stefan told, staring at the floor in thought. "That will make this a bit harder."

"Can anyone tell me how she was able to compel me?" Caroline suddenly asked, looking quite livid.

"Caroline, calm down," Bonnie ordered as her eyes swept around the room with authority. "Is it possible for everyone to shut up for a moment so I can give some answers?"

The room became incredibly quiet, the only exception being light sniffles from Alex. All eyes were on Bonnie, and the unwavering witch started with the whole story.

"Alex has been made part of a ritual," she told warily. "I've read about those burn markings before, but I didn't think performing the spell was even possible anymore. That means that the vampire who changed Alex had a witch execute the spell, Alex, did you ever see another man or woman when you were kidnapped?"

"There was a lot of pain," Alex answered softly. "I did pass out a few times."

"He could have done the spell when you were out," Bonnie sighed. "The whole spell is performed in order to sacrifice the vampire created."

"What does the sacrifice do?" Damon questioned with his jaws clenched together tightly.

"Every vampire that drinks her blood beforehand will become human again," Bonnie informed quietly.

There was an obvious excitement and even bliss about this news. Caroline looked the most animated as she observed Alex with a newfound curiosity. Even Elena, who seemed truly compassionate, looked a bit interested in the proposition, eyeing Stefan optimistically every few seconds. But Damon still looked thoroughly enraged as he pulled Alex a bit closer to him.

"Besides that," Bonnie persisted, sounding as if she was crossly responding to the eager attitude around the room, "the spell turns the intended sacrifice into a super vampire. Alex has the ability to do things only the Originals would be able to accomplish."

"That's why she was able to compel Caroline," Stefan concluded, putting the pieces together.

"She should also be stronger than most vampires. Faster, also. And the sun shouldn't affect her as much."

"Well, whoever changed her doesn't plan on catching a super vampire, does he?" Stefan suggested curiously.

"Alone, he doesn't," Bonnie replied vacantly. "I assume that means he has help. He does have a crazy good witch on his hands."

"We're not going to let him get her," Damon interrupted intensely. "We'll protect her. Isn't that right, Caroline?"

Caroline only replied with a glare. There was obvious displeasure in Alex's existence for most of room's occupants. They all were either stressed or angry.

"You're right, Damon," Stefan agreed slowly. "This is no time for our personal desires. We will protect you, Alex."

"Look, I don't mean to sound selfish here," Caroline started frantically, "but if we devote ourselves to protect Alex, we're putting all of us in danger. Especially Elena, who seems to be the perfect gift for any vampire this Christmas."

"We're either good guys or bad guys, Caroline," Stefan insisted, interrupting a deep, angry growl from Damon. "Look, we'll figure out everything tomorrow. Until then, I think we should all get some sleep."

Everyone seemed adamant about continuing the argument, but Stefan's presence was overwhelming, and everyone started to disperse. Caroline jetted out of the house in almost vampire speed, while Elena left after a long, anxious hug with Stefan. The vampire brothers gave grateful looks towards Bonnie, and the uneasy witch followed Caroline and Elena and exited the house.

"Do you need a drink?" Damon asked, giving a thoughtful look to Alex.

"I'm only nineteen," she told shakily.

"I meant blood," he chuckled, looking quite amused. But after a few seconds of blunt monotony and awkwardness, he decided his laugh was a bit uncalled for. Somehow, his sympathy was easy when it was concerning this timid girl.

"You need to drink," Stefan suggested sternly. "It will complete your transformation. If you don't drink any human blood, you'll be on edge for a while, and you may attack someone."

"Fine," Alex sighed, her shimmering eyes falling upon Stefan with intense discontent. "It seems so wrong."

"Some people eat burgers, some people eat…people," Damon said precariously.

"We don't have to kill anyone, do we?" Alex questioned hastily.

"Nah," Damon informed casually. "We just take the blood from the hospitals. Well, _I_ take it from the hospitals. Stefan eats bunnies."

"Don't people need that blood?" she asked desperately. "I mean, you can't just take it. People may die! And bunnies? Stefan, how could you?"

"Okay, you're really going crazy right now," Damon interrupted curiously.

"Hurry, Damon," Stefan ordered as Damon started to leave the room.

"Definitely."

"God, what's happening to me?" Alex cried, sitting down on the plush couch weakly. "I can't control what I'm saying. I don't even know what I'm saying."

"Every emotion is heightened right now," Stefan enlightened, sitting beside her. "And your natural traits will be stronger. It looks like you're incredibly compassionate."

"A little too compassionate," Damon complained haughtily, reentering the room with a blood bag in his hand. "One day a relentless vampire is going to come to sacrifice you, and you'll only be concerned about the lives of bunnies."

"They are living creatures!" Alex exclaimed furiously. Her immediate expression instantly softened, and she gave an ardent sigh. "Oh my gosh, Damon, I'm so sorry."

"Oh, don't worry, you're sort of cute when your ferociously bloodthirsty," he grinned mischievously, handing the blood bag to her. "Here."

She reluctantly took the bag from Damon, cringing with every move. But her eyes showed obvious longing, and she slowly put her lips up to the opening in the bag. As she started to sip the blood, she closed her eyes stiffly and looked incredibly regretful. Yet she continued to drink the blood with strong desire, and soon the bag was empty. She licked her lips gratefully, but then gave a shameful look towards the intent brothers with her.

"Alex, you can't be so reluctant about it," Stefan warned enthusiastically. "I mean, usually it's impossible for vampires to starve themselves. The instincts take over and blind them. But you're showing immense control."

"It's not good for you," Damon added protectively. "You've got to have a little guts, you know."

"Sure," Alex frowned, glaring at the empty blood bag in her hand.

"Look, tomorrow we'll go into town and have lunch at the diner," Damon suggested earnestly. "We'll act normal. That's all."

"That's not normal for me," Alex replied miserably. "Normal for me was waking up and holding my baby girl. I went to work, came home, and held her again. We'd play, we'd eat, and then I would tuck her in. That was my normal. My life revolved around her, Damon. Can't you see?"

"I…I can't imagine," Damon admitted meekly. "We're going to try to help. But until then, you need to be calm."

The rest of the night was serene enough for Alex to adjust, but turmoil still swept about inside her. Moments of true peace were difficult to find as long as Elizabeth's face was burned into her mind. The seconds remained unbearable even after Damon offered her more blood. Nothing could soothe her.

Stefan explained to Alex that Bonnie could come over early tomorrow morning and make her a ring to resist the sun. Though Alex desired for the freedom the ring would give, she felt curious as to how resistant she would be to the sun as a "super vampire." A same interest possessed Damon after Alex voiced her concern, but Stefan was resistant to the experimental attitude. Damon started to argue with Stefan, though not entirely on a brotherly level.

"We should know what her limitations are," Damon suggested strongly. "It may help us defend her. It may help Alex defend herself."

"You know how painful the sun is to us, Damon," Stefan warned, standing by the fireplace like a stone-cold statue. "I wouldn't want Alex to go through that right now."

"I want to, Stefan," Alex insisted suddenly. She impatiently ran her fingers through her hair as she was already quite frustrated by her situation. "If I'm going to be afraid of the sun, I want to know why I'll be afraid."

After a few seconds of silence, Stefan gave a faint sigh and nodded his head. "You can do whatever you'd like. But think about it. We're not going to be taking a plane to China just so you can get some sun. Tomorrow morning, before Bonnie arrives, we'll take you outside. Slowly."

"Stop worrying so much, Little Brother," Damon smirked impishly. "Everything will work out. You've got to lighten up."

"This isn't really a light situation," Stefan mumbled dismally, stalking out of the room with his shoulders hunched.

Damon gave a disapproving cough before sitting in a chair across from Alex. He poured a glass of wine. Something inside of Alex longed for the intoxicating drink. She wondered just how much pain and nuisance is could take away.

"I'll pour you some if you'd like," Damon offered kindly. His smirk was almost evil in a way. She opened her mouth as to request a glass, but then remembered Elizabeth's sweet face and couldn't imagine herself drinking an ounce of alcohol in front of her.

"No, thank you," she replied finally. "I couldn't."

"Do you want any more blood?" Damon asked casually. His voice was so simple, so relaxed, but it made her shiver in terror. Blood now was a part of life unlike any other. It was now a necessity to take the fluid of life from a breathing person to nourish herself. To _please _herself. She felt as if she may vomit, but she was not sure if such an act was possible for a vampire.

"I'd actually like to go to sleep," Alex told shakily, slowly gripping her stomach.

"Alright."

With slight concern in his eyes, Damon led Alex up the stairs to the same room she had awakened in that morning. The unfamiliar bed was more welcoming than she had expected. Damon offered to give her some pajamas, but she just wanted to sleep. Nothing could make her heart calm down except a perfect slumber. As she lay down to sleep, she hoped that was what she would experience. Without it, she wondered if she would even be sane in the morning.


	4. Change

Peacefully, Alex awoke to a room filled with a warm, orange light. The sunshine was desperately trying to make its way through the window curtains, and Alex almost welcomed it in. She slowly rose from the bed and made her way to the window. Temptation was something of a monster inside her, sending her whole body towards the sunlight. She would only have to push back the curtains and feel the light…

"Good morning," Stefan greeted formally, standing in the doorway of her room. "Elena gave me some of her clothes yesterday while you were gone. I put them on the counter in the bathroom down the hall. You can clean up if you'd like."

"Thank you, Stefan," Alex replied tautly like a child caught in a despicable act. He seemed oblivious to her uncontrolled temptation. Quietly, she made her way down the hall to the elegant bathroom. Beautiful tile lay on the counters like smooth rocks that spent their whole lives weathering perfectly in the lavatory. Small, colorful rocks rested in a bowl near the clean, spotless sink. Unfortunately, light could not compliment the wondrous room, for light was not allowed. It was stopped by thick, floral curtains at a small window.

Light now appeared a sort of mystery. How could it be so detrimental for her, yet warm and pleasant for others? Elizabeth could run and play in the inviting sun without a worry. Far away, in a shaded spot, Alex would have to wait, watching her daughter earnestly.

"Wait," she whispered reassuringly. Bonnie mentioned some sort of resistance to the sun that would accompany many other special abilities. And if the ability really was nothing to be so confident in, a magic ring could help her.

She couldn't stand to think about it any longer, so she quickly hopped into the shower and relaxed. Water still felt the same on her body. It was no enemy of any sort. She felt this to be a merciful miracle. But simultaneously she felt a sadness. The water did not appeal to her as nourishment or even pleasure. After only a few minutes, she rushed out of the shower, wanting the haunting reality to end.

Elena's clothes fit perfectly, and Alex praised the fact that something right was happening. The outfit was plain and common, but Alex had no desire for fashion at this moment. Quickly, she smoothed out her whole outfit and headed downstairs. She had a quaint urge to ask what was for breakfast that morning, but then remembered breakfast wasn't such a pleasurable thing anymore.

"Top of the morning to you, Alex," Damon greeted playfully, meeting her at the foot of the stairs. "Hungry?"

"I was hoping you wouldn't ask that," she replied dismally. "To tell you the truth, I feel a bit restless. I don't want to mistake that for hunger, though."

"Well, if we're going out for the day," Damon started leisurely, "I suggest you drink a bit. We don't want any accidents in town."

"I'll teach you how to hunt rabbits later today," Stefan told casually as he came out of the living room. "That is, if you want to go about this in that way."

"Oh, yes, I don't want to drink human blood," she confirmed swiftly. "But hunting an animal…It all seems so cruel."

"Don't worry about it," Damon smirked offhandedly. "Once you see the bunny, your instinct will kick in. It will just be food."

Damon's words sent a chill through Alex's body, and she quickly walked away from the two Salvatore brothers, anxiously standing in the living room. She heard a sigh of disappointment come from Stefan as he took a few steps away from Damon. Slowly, the floor creaked as Stefan made his way to the doorway. He stood there angrily for a moment before speaking.

"Bonnie will be here in a few minutes," he informed sternly. "If you want to test your sun theory, meet me in the backyard."

As Stefan left, Alex felt Damon's worried eyes on the back of her head. "It will just be food? Will I even consider its life?"

"Of course you will," Damon quickly said, stepping towards Alex cautiously. "I'm sorry. Those weren't the right words to use."

"But, Damon, what if you're right?" she asked shakily, wrapping her arms around herself comfortingly. She turned to him, bearing a fearful, grave expression. "What if I can never see somebody for their soul anymore? What if all I hear is the blood rushing in their veins? What if all I can smell is the blood underneath their skin?"

"It's not like that," Damon assured, taking her hands in his. "I mean, look at Stefan and Elena. They're in love. And nothing can break that love. And I know you love your daughter." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a slightly wrinkled picture. It was small and hard to understand, but Alex soon recognized that it was her favorite picture of Elizabeth. The little girl was holding a flower in her tiny hand, observing it as if it contained a whole new universe. Like a hungry animal, Alex took the picture from Damon and stared at it passionately.

"Where did you get this?" she questioned frantically.

"I hope you don't mind," he smiled innocently. "Early this morning I sort of…broke into your house in Brooklyn. I took that picture from one of the desks."

Lovingly, Alex stroked her daughter's glossy face and gave a small smile. It was difficult to find hope in her situation, but Elizabeth's shining blue eyes created new, incredible prospects.

"Thank you, Damon," Alex whispered contentedly.

"And I figured you weren't making a lot of the money in the household," he continued eagerly. "So I left a little money in its place."

"Wow, Damon," Alex grinned, finding Damon's soft, compassionate voice so unlike him. "That was awfully sweet. How much did you leave?"

"A thousand," he stated plainly.

Alex's heart leaped at the word. Such a large amount of money was an unbelievably generous gift. Gratefully, she smiled a warm, glowing smile and nodded.

"That is amazing, Damon," Alex told excitedly. "I mean, it's unreal. I would definitely beg you to take it back, but I am concerned about Elizabeth."

"Of course." Damon had a cheerful expression on his face as he let go of Alex's hands. He paced over to the fireplace and started to tinker with the ornaments on the mantel. "Anything that Elizabeth needs you can still provide for her. Stefan and I can give her all she desires: teddy bears, apple sauce, tickets to Disney World."

Alex let out an optimistic laugh as Damon continued to list all the amusing things a child would want. Finally, he mentioned a pet German Shepherd, and Alex defiantly interrupted, countering his suggestion with the many dangers of placing a large, menacing dog with a small, fragile child. With a haughty smirk, Damon chuckled at her vast knowledge of canine behavior.

"You know, I've always wondered what it feels like to be a parent," Damon told. "I never liked kids, but I guess everything changes when you have a child."

"_Everything_ changes," Alex stressed. "One day, you're walking through high school with your whole life ahead of you. Then you make some bad decisions, and you're pregnant. I decided I would give her up for adoption, but when I held her for the first time…"

Where she hoped strength would build, tears only began to develop. Her eyes were supposed to be a strong barrier meant to help her survive in this new life. They now revealed every thought and feeling she was experiencing. Loss, pain, and despair. It was all shining through. Damon fidgeted with his fingers now, obviously worried by Alex's teary eyes.

"I think now would be a good time to test out your sun resistance," he suggested awkwardly. "If you still want to."

"Oh, yes. Of course," she agreed quickly, wiping a thin falling tear from her cheek.

He led her out of the living room and through a few hallways. Eventually, they encountered a solid wood door that looked magnificent enough to be the front door of a mansion. But it was indeed the door leading to the backyard. Damon opened it delicately and peered outside, apparently studying the sun's rays. He gave a sharp nod to Alex, and she followed him out to the backyard.

Unlike any of the Brooklyn yards Alex saw, this backyard was spacious and beautiful. It was rather a small field of tall green grass and occasional patches of wildflowers. The Salvatore brothers did not seem like people who possessed green thumbs. But the yard, surrounded by an old, black metal fence, was tidy and attractive.

Alex, well aware of the sun's threat to her, found comfort in the awning that extended from the roof immediately above her. The sun could not touch her as long as she stayed put under that awning, but she began to feel an urge to step into the sunlight.

"Well, if you really want to give this a try," Stefan sighed, notifying them of his subtle presence against the brick wall of the house. "Go ahead and walk out slowly."

"I'll go with you," Damon insisted. No objection was in Alex's mind. Curiosity plagued her mind, but a pale fear was deep in her heart. In most movies, vampires instantly melted into nothing when the sun touched their pastel skin. If they did not melt, they suffered immense pain and excruciating burns until they finally disappeared. But Alex knew she had to complete this task. It was already set in her mind.

She looked down at the crinkly picture of Elizabeth she still had in her hand. The tender, innocent face of her daughter gave her invincible courage. Carefully, she pushed the picture into a pocket in her jeans and then took her first few steps into the sunlight.

Warmth was the first sensation. It was a warmth like none other. Her whole body shivered from the overwhelming feeling. It was not unbearable, but it was rather like stepping out to a hot summer day after being locked in a cold cellar. She smiled, unable to feel the true threat she had anticipated.

After a few moments, the heat became more intense, but Alex was adamant about surviving this circumstance. She slowly closed her hands up into fists and tensed them at her sides.

"Alex, if that's enough, you can stop this," Stefan warned persistently. Damon's concerned expression beside her sent the same message.

"I'm fine," Alex whispered with jaw locked firmly.

Her skin started to feel like it was moving. No, small bugs were crawling over her. Millions of them were on her, irritating her from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. They kept moving violently over her body. She closed her eyes and reopened them, certain she would actually see the infernal insects on her skin. But she could only feel them start to burrow into her. The pain was insufferable. She wanted to scream, she wanted to die.

"Damon!" she exclaimed desperately. "Damon, I can't take it anymore! I can't take it anymore!"

Suddenly, she was whisked away at an incredible speed inside the house. Within the fantastic dash, Damon had wrapped his arms around her comfortingly, and her face had become buried into his chest. She eagerly hugged him back, feeling a true sense of protection.

"We're not trying that again," she heard Stefan mutter in frustration, shutting the large wooden door behind them.

"You lasted longer than anyone else could," Damon assured confidently. "You stayed out there for nearly a minute."

"That's good?" Alex questioned as her skin cooling off. She calmly let go of Damon and made her way to the living room. "I would never want to see one of _you_ in the sunlight."

"Me neither," Stefan grinned lightheartedly. "But all that aside, this will all be fixed when Bonnie gets here."

Scratching her skin every few minutes, Alex waited for Bonnie with Stefan and Damon in the living room. Much to her displeasure, both Damon and Stefan urged her to have a bit of blood to heal her irritated skin. She convinced them to empty the official hospital blood bag into a water glass to make it more civilized. But, though she resisted the wondrous feeling, the blood rejuvenated her body and made her a little more cheerful. Anxiously, though, she passed the glass back to Damon.

"I want to do that as little as possible," she remarked stiffly.

When Bonnie arrived, she acted polite and indifferent. She did not even take one peek at Alex's symbolic burns or mention vampirism. Casually, she ignored Stefan's explanation of the sun's effects on Alex, and the tranquil witch even made enchanting seem like a fine act of business.

"This ring will be your Sun Ring," she explained plainly. "Take is for a moment."

Alex carefully took the ring from Bonnie's. It was a beautiful gold band with a square of blue stone set in it. In somewhat of a trance, Alex admired the ring excitedly. A feeling of disappointment overcame her as Bonnie took the ring back for a small moment.

Slowly, Bonnie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She appeared tense and slightly nervous, but a confident grin adorned her face. The few words she muttered in this daze were difficult to understand as any part of speech. They were merely sounds, impossible sounds made by delicate acrobatics of the tongue and lips. Alex could not understand any of this phenomenon, but she felt relieved when it was over.

"Here you go," Bonnie smiled, handing Alex the ring. "I suggest that you wear it all the time. You never know when you'll have to go into the sun. It should work normally, though your abilities are obviously a bit different. Enjoy the sun, Alex."

"We've got to get to school," Stefan stated abruptly.

"School?" Alex questioned curiously. "Stefan, you're a vampire and you go to school?"

"High school is more entertaining than television," Stefan grinned playfully. "C'mon, Bonnie."

"Damon, aren't you going?" Alex asked, observing Damon's smirk in confusion.

He let out a dark laugh and ran his fingers through his hair. "School isn't so appealing to me. I find other ways to spend my time."

The seductive way he said those words alarmed Alex. She felt taken aback by it, and almost more inquisitive about it. Ultimately, she realized a dim feeling of jealousy was hidden in her shock, and she quickly pushed it all away.

"We'll see you guys later," Stefan said, rushing out the front door with Bonnie.

Ignoring this new, provocative side of Damon that was just revealed, Alex sat down on the sofa and thought of a topic of small-talk. What was exactly interesting small-talk to a vampire?

"Well, it's not really lunchtime," Damon sighed with a grin. "But do you want to go into town and have brunch at the diner?"

"Can we eat people food?" Alex immediately regretted her choice of words as a rather uncomfortable picture of a dog snacking on a hamburger popped into her mind.

"Unfortunately, chocolate can kill us," he chuckled jokingly.

"You know what I meant!" she laughed defensively. "Seriously, can we eat regular food?"

"Of course," Damon informed merrily. "It is an aptitude we share with the humans around us. We can eat and taste. Everything works normally. We're not like those ghastly, sparkly vampires from Twilight."

They stepped out of the house in a jolly mood. Alex became wary for a moment as the sun first fell upon her skin. Now it only felt normal. It was warm and comforting, and she silently thanked Bonnie for the Sun Ring.

Damon drove a 1967 Chevy Camaro, and though Alex was never particularly interested in cars, this one intrigued her. Perhaps it was the way Damon lovingly looked at it, or the spectacular condition it was in after all these years. But that car was a somewhat beautiful object.

"You like it, huh?" he smirked, sliding his hand along the passenger door.

"It's definitely stunning," she commented excitedly.

He opened the passenger door in mocking bashfulness. "You're too kind to my girl. Care to take a ride?"

As they drove into the busy part of town, Alex realized how easier it would have been to just run at super speed to the diner. But the delight on Damon's face reminded her that they were still people. They could be normal and enjoy activities. Being a mother to Elizabeth in this situation seemed very possible. But when Damon commented how the music of today was much better than the music of two-hundred years ago, her hopes were dampened.

"So, all your family is dead?" Alex asked gloomily.

"Well, except Stefan," he informed casually.

They arrived at the diner in only a few minutes. It was a traditional diner with polite employees, cozy booths, and simple food. Alex quickly ordered an omelet, too distracted by her circumstances to truly think about her order. After a few minutes of silence, she figured it would be best to ask Damon as many questions as she could.

"Damon, how do you become a vampire exactly?"

He leaned back in his chair and blinked his eyes lazily. "Well, it's really a simple process. A person has to drink a vampire's blood and then die. That person will wake up as a vampire."

"So that's what happened to me," Alex breathed, the chilling scene playing out again in her mind. "It was so savage."

"Believe it or not, most of the vampires around here chose to become one," Damon continued, taking a sip of his water.

"_What?_" Alex hissed. "Someone would actually _choose_ to be a vampire?"

"That's what happened to Stefan and I," Damon told. Alex sent an eager, anxious look his way, and he continued. "You see…This is sort of embarrassing. About a hundred and fifty years ago, when Stefan and I were still human, we both fell in love with this girl named Katherine Pierce. She was playing us both, because she was an evil, cold-hearted vampire."

"Well, did you both know that she was a vampire?" she asked earnestly.

"Towards the end we did," he answered smoothly. The word "end" caught Alex by the heart. "I was totally willing to join her. But our father found out about Katherine's bloody secret and went crazy."

She wondered if Damon fully understood how dark and discouraging his words were. But another aspect of his words piqued her interest.

"Damon, you said both of you were in love with her," Alex began curiously. "Did she ever choose one of you?"

He gave a bitter smile meant to hide a blaring anger in his eyes. After taking a sip of his water, he sighed wearily and resumed.

"I thought our father had killed her," he told solemnly. "When he shot Stefan and I, her blood was in us, as we were ready to join her in this unfortunate lifestyle. I didn't want to turn into one anymore, since she was supposedly dead. In fact, I wanted to die. But my brother convinced me to turn, and I awoke as a vampire." His somber expression quickly changed to a tame resentment as he took another sip of water. "Long story short, it turned out she wasn't dead. But it didn't matter. She chose Stefan."

Alex observed Damon's resilient eyes. The story was so sad and disheartening, but he remained almost normal in its retelling. After a long time of silence, he smiled and ran his fingers through his hair. "But I'll never have to see her again."

"Where is she?" Alex asked. Her tone of voice insisted this information was desperately important. Of course, it was only her compassion and love for romance that kept her on edge.

"She's in a tomb underground," he replied calmly. "It's a special, magic tomb, though. Vampires can't escape the tomb because it's been cursed. We've gone through a whole lot of pain to get her in there, though."

"She's trapped there?" Alex questioned anxiously. "Isn't that a little cruel? Does she really deserve it?"

"Definitely," Damon muttered. "She definitely does."

Alex pondered if Damon's words were justified. Reluctantly, she decided that to one day meet Katherine would explain everything. But she couldn't dwell on her right now. There were still so many questions to be asked.

"Damon," she called softly. "What did Caroline mean when she said Elena was the perfect gift for vampires this Christmas?"

"It's all such a mess," he chuckled darkly. "Elena is a Petrova doppelganger, and so is Katherine, actually."

"I don't understand," Alex told impatiently. "A doppelganger. That's someone who resembles another person, right?"

"More like a carbon copy," Damon sighed dully. "Elena looks just like Katherine. And someone before Katherine looked the same. Elena is a descendant of Katherine, and they are both known as Petrova doppelgangers. Elena, as a Petrova doppelganger, has the ability to break the Sun and Moon Curse, which is the curse that keeps vampires unable to live in the sun. Katherine once had this ability, but now, since she's a vampire, she doesn't. Of course, Elena would have to be sacrificed in order to break the curse. That's why we've been protecting her for a while."

The expression on Alex's face represented great confusion, but she soon shook her head and regained a calm exterior. She played with her hair coolly and concluded Damon's long speech as an answer to most of her questions. Their food came, and she ate her omelet slowly. Knowing it would do nothing for her body made eating it slightly unsavory. As she took another bite, she remembered something in Damon's speech.

"You said Elena was a descendant of Katherine," Alex started. "How is this possible? A vampire can't have children, right?"

"That's the strange thing," Damon stated intuitively. "Obviously, Elena must be related to Katherine. But Katherine turned into a vampire at a young age, and she certainly couldn't have been married by that time. And it was simply a catastrophe for a woman to have a child out of wedlock."

"Present company not included?" she asked playfully.

"Of course not, milady," he grinned impishly. "But, who knows. Katherine could have had some illegitimate children before she turned. She's a harlot now. Perhaps that's a trait that carried with her since the beginning of her life."

"Hey, it's hard being a single mother," Alex interrupted defensively. "If Katherine was at all…_promiscuous _before she had the child, she definitely learned a lot caring for it."

"She doesn't show any of those learned lessons," Damon insisted gruffly. "Anyways, I can't even think of Katherine being a mother. That kid would be dead in a moment."

But Alex was already on to another thought. "So, Katherine is Elena's ancestor. And she can see her still today? They look the same?"

"I mistook her as Elena many times, I will admit," Damon informed regretfully. "They look exactly the same. But there's something in their eyes that tells them apart."

"So Katherine had the chance to attend her own daughter's funeral," Alex continued shakily. "My gosh, that is horrifying."

Damon gave a small smirk, insinuating a sly joke was just on the tip of his tongue. But his eyes dropped and his smile faded as he realized just how shocking Alex's expression was. She looked on the verge of tears, like a ghost was pulling her heart to and fro, placing ghastly images in her head. This present idea certainly wasn't all fiction. As Alex stared down at the table in fright, a coffin was before her, holding her precious Elizabeth as an old woman. Alex herself was perfectly young and beautiful, standing among the crowd of mourners around the coffin. She looked all around her, noticing that her own mother was nowhere to be found.

"Alex, please don't worry," Damon murmured, leaning towards her. "Don't think about whatever you're thinking. It's a little scary to watch."

The few minutes of fear and despair were interrupted by Alex's desire to heed Damon's words. She quickly examined her present situation, remembering that Elizabeth was indeed safe from harm and provided for. Eventually peace overcame her misery, and she leaned back in her chair wearily.

"Maybe I do need a drink," she sighed. "Oh, wait. I won't fall into temptation. I simply won't."

"You're too difficult," Damon grinned. "Now, I want no more mood swings from you. We're going to have fun today, you hear? We can take a pleasant stroll through the park, make a fireplace in the woods, or even go shopping-"

"Or visit Katherine," Alex interrupted optimistically.

Damon shot a menacing glare her way. His sudden expression of remorse suggested he meant no harm to Alex by his angry look. Though Alex knew she had hit a nerve, she eagerly stared at him for an answer.

"No, Alex," Damon replied tiredly. "That's out of the question."

"Oh, come on, Damon," Alex argued instantly. "Maybe she knows something about the spell the witch cast on me. Maybe, being a Petrova doppelganger, she knows a few secrets about curse-breaking sacrifices. Don't tell me you haven't thought of it."

"Alex, you can irk me easily," Damon grumbled. "Look, get used to being a vampire first. Katherine can lure you into her spell. She can manipulate you even from within a cursed tomb. It's just too dangerous. You could get hurt."

"Don't forget that I'm an all-powerful vampire," Alex reminded bitterly, folding her arms like a peeved child. "I can compel other vampires, supposedly. How does that work, anyways? Is it like the movies where Dracula puts a gorgeous mistress into a trance to keep her in his castle?"

"Pretty much," Damon replied drearily. "We can compel humans to do whatever we want. _You_ can do it to vampires, like the Originals."

"And the Originals are?"

"The first few vampires to exist." His voice was now very dry and cold. She understood how annoyed he had become of her, and she shut her mouth for the rest of the meal. Though she was quite unsatisfied by all the unanswered questions she had, she let the beauty and peace of MysticFalls take her. She found a smile deep within her heart, and the day seemed brighter.

"Hello, Damon," a kind, gentle voice greeted as a short, dedicated blond woman in a sheriff's uniform walked up to the table. Damon replied to her with a warm grin as he scoot over on his side of the booth.

"Sheriff Forbes," he called, gesturing to the seat beside him. "Sit down. I'll buy you a cup of coffee."

"I would deny, but I'd like to meet your friend here," Sheriff Forbes admitted excitedly, taking a seat beside Damon.

"Of course," Damon smiled innocently. "Sheriff Forbes, this is my friend Alex Somers. She's visiting for a while."

"It's nice to meet you," Sheriff Forbes told happily, reaching out to shake Alex's hand. "We don't get many visitors to the town. Are you staying at the Mystic Hotel?"

"I'm staying at the mansion," Alex informed simply, shaking the Sheriff's outstretched hand.

The Sheriff raised one eyebrow and looked at Alex curiously. Damon seemed to fidget uncomfortably from Alex's words, and Sheriff Forbes gave him a clever smirk. Alex's mouth fell open as she realized she may have become part of a naughty reputation of Damon's.

"You never cool down, do you?" the Sheriff chuckled.

"Oh, no, Sheriff," Alex called desperately. "You can't be thinking what I think you're thinking."

"Well, I'll at least say you sure do pick the pretty ones, Damon," Sheriff Forbes suggested, casually rising from her seat. "I'll have to take a rain check on that coffee, Damon. You two have a nice day."

"You as well, Sheriff," Damon mumbled wearily as the Sheriff left. Alex stared at Damon in horror.

"You're going to let her believe I'm some sort of concubine of yours?" she questioned crossly. "I can't enter this town with that sort of reputation."

"Don't worry," he sighed, rubbing his eyes lazily. "Sheriff Forbes isn't one to gossip. But if she lets it slip, I'm sure the part about you being a vampire will overshadow all those concubine rumors."

"Oh, sure," she hissed sourly. But his playful grin stole a laugh out of her, and she had forgotten all about her embarrassment.

They moved onto a long conversation about the important people of the town. Alex learned that Caroline was Sheriff Forbes' daughter. She then asked if the Sheriff was a vampire herself, but Damon answered negatively with a demeanor of sorrow and slight irritation. It was clear that Caroline's existence as a vampire was not a choice, but rather the exact same helplessness Alex felt. Damon went on to explain how Sheriff Forbes did not know of Caroline's state, but Alex did not need to know anymore, and she couldn't stand to know anymore. The whole experience was still fresh in her mind. She could barely endure the pain of her own situation, and a more vivid understanding of Caroline's would only make everything more heartbreaking.

Damon told of Elena's brother Jeremy, who was actually her biological cousin. The whole thing was absolutely confusing, but Alex focused only on a few of Damon's words. He mentioned Elena's biological mother was a vampire now, and that hit Alex right in the heart. This woman was in the same circumstance Alex was, or so it seemed. When Damon explained that Elena's mother chose to be a vampire, Alex felt anger and resentment towards the woman. She then rushed the conversation onto the rest of the inhabitants of MysticFalls.

"As for werewolves," Damon started offhandedly.

"Werewolves?" Alex exclaimed in astonishment. "Please don't tell me they're real too!"

"They are," he laughed coolly. "Yes, they're quite real, though not too many are in MysticFalls. Actually, vampires and werewolves are related in a way. But that story would take much too long. The check is coming now."

"Tell me," Alex begged hastily.

Damon grinned humorously and threw a twenty dollar bill on the table. Completely on edge, Alex followed him out of the diner and into his car. He started driving in no particular direction, as she could tell. She was only interested in what he had to say.

"You see, back in the day, _way_ back in the day," he started, "vampires roamed freely in the night and day. And werewolves could change into wolves at any time. Apparently, both were terrible monsters, having no consideration for human life. So a witch or shaman, something like that, made the Sun and Moon Curse. The curse keeps the sun an enemy to vampires, but it also caused werewolves to lose their ability to change into wolves whenever they want. Breaking the curse would really only be useful to werewolves. I mean, us vampires can just wear something made out of Lapis Lazuli."

"So they're not like the ones in Twilight?" Alex assumed quickly.

"Thank goodness," Damon sighed. "No, they just turn on the full moon. But from what I hear, it's extremely painful."

"And some werewolves live in MysticFalls?"

"The Lockwood family has werewolf blood," Damon explained. "I'm not sure about Mayor Lockwood, who died a little while ago. But Tyler his son definitely is a werewolf. And Tyler's uncle was."

"_Was?_" Alex asked nervously. "What do you mean _was?_"

"He was working with Katherine," Damon told with gritted teeth. "He was dangerous. I had to terminate him."

"You _killed _him?" Alex's voice was filled with great horror, and she now stared at Damon with a new view. "You actually killed a man."

"All vampires usually kill at least one person," he said defensively. "You're lucky Stefan found you. If you were left alone any longer, you would have murdered a whole town."

Alex readied herself for a strong defense, but stopped in her tracks as she realized Damon's words were very true. Just two days ago, she was using all her strength to restrain her from pouncing on two innocent campers. A merciless image of their bloody, disfigured bodies appeared in her mind, and she did not bother Damon about it for the rest of the drive.

They went straight to the Salvatore mansion after their brunch at the diner. Both of them were slightly perturbed by each other, but they understood this was all part of this horrid transition. Alex tried to fight the monstrous feeling inside her, the feeling of being only a predator in this world to prey upon the innocent and unsuspecting. She could in fact become a creature who longed to drain the blood from even her own daughter if it so satisfied her thirst. The whole thought was chilling, and she sat alone in the living room, dreading it was actually a reality.

Damon, who had spent most of the day in the library, appeared for a moment to announce he was leaving on important business. He bid her farewell after letting her know Stefan was on his way home. This was only terrible news for Alex, for she knew Stefan had intended to teach her how to hunt rabbits. She swallowed what seemed like a gallon of air, and then concluded she had no choice but to learn the tricks of the trade.

When Stefan arrived, Alex was standing alone in the entrance hall. Her body was tense and cold, but her eyes showed vigilance. Placing his backpack gently on the ground, Stefan gave her a sympathetic look.

"You'll get used to it," Stefan assured softly.

_Get used to it._ That meant she would have to do this forever. There would be no end to this. She would never be able to be a mother to her baby girl again. Slowly she would watch Elizabeth grow up from afar. And she would get married, have children, retire…_die._

Before she could break down into tears, Alex followed Stefan out the front door of the mansion. They silently walked down the sidewalk, making their way to a bright forest with little trees. Dead leaves crunched loudly underneath their footsteps as they walked through the woods, examining the subtle beauty it had to offer. Stefan made a sudden stop and made a hand motion towards Alex. She obediently stopped her walking as anxiety slowly filled her mind.

"Do you hear it?" he whispered delicately.

Alex sensed a soft rustling in a pile of leaves twenty yards ahead of them. "Yes."

"That's a rabbit," Stefan explained quietly. "Your new abilities make you perfectly capable of hunting it. Just run up and grab it."

The idea was horrifying, but Alex listened to Stefan's words carefully. Without another wasted second, she rushed to the rustling leaves, reached in, pulled out a helpless rabbit, and stared at it for a moment. The slow movements of the creatures made her realize she was thinking in fast motion, a concept that shocked her at first. But she soon could only concentrate on the rabbit's guiltless, naïve eyes. It appeared almost stupid, yes, but it was certainly alive.

Alex knew she couldn't wait any longer. Deadening her senses, she made a powerful twisting motion with its head, and heard the loud crack of its fragile neck. Tears filled her eyes as she realized exactly what she had done, but she didn't stop.

The rest of this moment would be better described by writers such as Stephen King. But not he, nor anybody, could document the horror and dread that filled Alex's body. Satisfaction was only a slight feeling that was overshadowed by her guilt and heartache. A creature had died by her hands, and she had killed it willingly. She then realized the terror that was truly provided by vampirism. There was no legal or harmless way of going about it. It was a popular belief that people who became vampires lost their souls. That idea became more and more plausible as Alex stared at the dead rabbit in her hands. She then decided to steal blood from a hospital was more human than buying life from another creature with the currency of death.


	5. Everyone Has A Past

When Alex awoke the next day, her heart was beating with uncontrollable anger. She felt the deepest hatred towards the vampire who had changed her. The idea of killing him wasn't as disagreeable as it was yesterday morning when she still had hope. Last night, while the horror of the day was just dying down, she had time to read in the library. Countless books of vampires and magic inhabited that library, but no book referred to a way of turning a vampire back into a normal human being. She learned she had the power to wipe out memories and heal quickly. But apparently, Alex was blessed with being the only instrument of change made for someone else.

It was incredibly early in the morning, and she assumed Stefan and Damon were still asleep. She quietly wandered into the bathroom to take a shower of warmth and relaxation, though the latter seemed quite unattainable. The water still seemed unsatisfactory upon her skin. It really was of no purpose to her now. It was just a substance with no sustenance or life as it was to regular people. Again, it started to annoy her, and she ended it quickly.

When she exited the shower, she realized she had no clothes to wear. The pajamas Stefan had bought for her were untidily on the floor where she had thrown them after undressing. But Elena's clothes she had worn yesterday were in her room, and she wondered if she was meant to wear them again today. Maybe Stefan had another outfit prepared for her. She wrapped herself in a towel, reluctantly left the bathroom, and silently tiptoed down the hall to Stefan's room.

For a few moments, she stood outside the door, trying to remove all her embarrassment. Surely Stefan had seen a woman wrapped in only a towel before. He had lived for over a hundred years. Perhaps he would only see her as a sister or a cousin. Besides, he was dating Elena. He wouldn't dare dwell on her near-nakedness for a mere five seconds.

She bashfully knocked on the door and waited for a reply. After a few quiet moments, she considered rushing to her room and dressing in her outfit from yesterday before asking any questions. But a strange confidence filled her, and she lost all concern for Stefan's unsuspecting eyes. Certainly there were more important issues to deal with than her lack of clothing. The whole thing was hardly an event.

"Stefan," she called in a whisper as she opened his door slowly. "Stefan?"

The room was empty and his bed was made. It was Tuesday morning, so it was a possibility he was getting ready for school. She closed the door and started towards the stairs.

Before she could take even one step down the stairs, she remembered Damon. The thought of him seeing her in her current state was a bit more daunting. He had come across as a very sensual person who might reflect on her image too long. But her confidence shone through again, and she stepped down the stairs.

No one was to be found in the entrance hall. She even listened with her extremely sensitive ears, but she could not hear a stir in the house._ Vampire are designed to be stealthy,_ she reminded herself hopelessly. _They could be anywhere._

Making her way into the living room, she noticed it too was empty. But she was not too disappointed. She found herself admiring the great beauty of its décor. Great paintings hung upon the wall and strange artifacts rested on the mantel. She started to imagine they were centuries old, still so gorgeous from loving care from previous owners. A magnificent vase caught her eyes, and she examined it closely. Attractive floral patterns were delicately painted onto the tall vase. She started to hear shuffling and voices in the next room, but she did not care for the noise until a few keywords caught her attention.

"Sheriff Forbes, how nice of you to drop by," Stefan greeted, closing the front door gently.

"Good morning, Stefan," the Sheriff smiled. "I need to talk to Damon. Is he here?"

"I believe he's in the cellar," Stefan told casually. "Why don't you come into the living room and sit down. I'll get him for you."

Alex's heart started to beat at a grueling pace. Her mind was thinking in fast motion now, but she could not think of her upcoming actions. She considered dashing through the cellar door and waiting downstairs till the Sheriff left. But that was where Damon was. If he had her same super hearing, which he did, he was already heading up the cellar stairs to the living room. She would no doubt crash into him, perhaps dropping her towel in the process. Or maybe her towel would not even follow her as she ran with her rapid speed. That would create a whole new, horrifying scenario.

At last, her whole brain went blank, and the great double doors leading into the living room opened. Stefan was happily leading Sheriff Forbes into the room. But as soon as he saw Alex, he stopped in his tracks. The Sheriff did no less than the same thing.

"I believe I heard my name," Damon smirked, suddenly entering through the cellar doors. His mouth dropped open as his eyes fell upon Alex, and Alex's own mouth could not stay closed as she realized the true horror of this moment.

"Oh, goodness," Stefan whispered anxiously. The other three present people were thoroughly speechless, though one appeared quite amused. Sheriff Forbes looked as if she were on the verge of a laugh, and her eternal smirk made Alex's heart drop.

"I would say good morning, but I'm afraid I'm just too mortified," the Sheriff chuckled. "Kids these days just don't seem to have any sort of self control."

"Sheriff Forbes, I assure you this isn't what it looks like," Damon started hastily. "I mean, I'm not exactly sure what's happening here, but Alex must have a story."

"I do," Alex promised shakily. "I really do."

"I'd rather not hear it," Sheriff Forbes smiled humorously. "You two are together. I get it. That's not what I'm here for."

"Really, Sheriff, I'd like to explain," Damon interrupted fervently.

"Just grab your things and meet me in the car," the Sheriff ordered offhandedly, heading towards the entrance hall. "The Founders are going to have an urgent meeting. Your attendance is required."

Damon gave a helpless glance towards Alex, but then walked past Sheriff Forbes and up the stairs. One more witty look from the Sheriff greeted Alex, and then she left. Stefan stared at Alex in confusion while Alex wanted to die of embarrassment.

"Um, I just needed some clothes," she started nervously, looking down at the floor submissively. "I wasn't sure if Elena had lent me another outfit."

"Oh, of course," Stefan said, shaking his head optimistically. "Yes, she did. I'll go up and put the clothes in your room. You can head up there whenever you're ready."

With a dire speed, Stefan left the room. Relief could have filled Alex, but embarrassment was all she felt. She knew this encounter with Sheriff Forbes would not be like the first one. It would be remembered as a horrible, awkward moment in history. Just the thought of the Sheriff's suggestive smirk gave Alex the chills. She noticed Damon stepping down the stairs and rushing out of the house. After a few seconds that confirmed the coast was clear, she ran with super speed up the stairs and into her room, dressing with an undying passion. Such enthusiasm seemed incredibly foolish, but her embarrassment clouded her common sense. Clothes were her best friend now.

"I hope he corrects her in the car," she mumbled furiously, making final changes to her appearance in front of a mirror in her room. "I have a deep desire to murder him."

Stefan chuckled awkwardly after appearing in her doorway. He leaned against the wall and watched her cautiously. "After your breakdown with the rabbit yesterday, I highly doubt that."

"I've never been so humiliated in my life," she sighed desperately. She turned urgently to face Stefan and stomped her foot like a child. "Goodness! Why did she have to come over at just the wrong time? And why wasn't Damon wearing a shirt? This is a mess."

"It's not that big of a deal," Stefan laughed calmly. "The Sheriff doesn't dwell on these types of things."

"You don't understand, Stefan," Alex whined in despair. "Yesterday at the diner, there was another insinuating moment."

"I'm sure Damon told you Sheriff Forbes doesn't gossip," Stefan told reassuringly. "Don't worry about it."

Reluctantly, Alex gave a composed nod and crossed her arms awkwardly. Stefan smiled brightly and led her down the stairs to the living room.

"I have to leave for school now," he explained plainly, taking his backpack from the living room couch. "I'm not sure how long Damon's meeting will be, but you'll be alone for a little bit. You can do whatever you'd like. I left some cash on the mantel in case you want to go into town. Of course, I just ask you to be very careful. You never know what could happen in this place."

"Thank you," Alex called as Stefan wandered out the door. "I'll find something to do."

It was like Alex had no control over her body. Or maybe her mind was just too set on this task that her conscious was overshadowed. She was already moving towards the front door, looking through a nearby window to witness Stefan entering his car. As soon as he drove away, she rushed into the library and searched through a number of books.

_Katherine._ _The_ _tomb._ No matter how strongly Damon warned her about Katherine, she just had to talk to her. Last night, she had stumbled upon an old, handwritten diary. Its owner had written countless facts about MysticFalls' vampire history, and the tomb was mentioned somewhere in the book.

Ah, there it was. "Many vampires were trapped in the tomb years ago after the townspeople decided to fight against them. The townspeople were able to guide the vampires into the middle of the forest where the old Lawrence cabin was. Directly below the cabin, the tomb waited, and the vampires were forced to be trapped in the tomb by an age old magic. Of course, somehow they all escaped…"

Alex did not need to know anymore. She ran out of the library and into the living room. Though the cash seemed useless, she stuffed it all into her pocket. A small desire for blood sat just above her stomach, and she wondered if she could wait a while before she drank any. The thought of drinking any more of the stuff made her sick. She calmly remembered she would be in the middle of a forest, and decided she could wait till the evening.

Holding nothing but some cash and a picture of Elizabeth, Alex left the mansion. She was cautious as she walked through the neighborhood. People exited their houses casually, passing by her like she was merely another pedestrian. Angrily, she ignored the smell of their blood and continued on through the quiet street of old-fashioned houses. Walking at a normal pace was making her impatient, but she finally made it past the neighborhoods and shops to a quiet rode that passed beside the forest. Eagerly, she started into the thin sea of trees.

Any sign of movement in the forest scared her, but not because she felt like a sort of prey. She was afraid of being a predator once again, attempting to break the neck of a helpless bunny. As she walked, she was able to focus on the beautiful red, yellow, and orange leaves hanging from the tall, vibrant trees. Her love for nature shone through her shame of her inhumane desire, and her journey became bearable.

It was difficult to tell where she was going. She knew she was looking for a cabin, but she had a horrible realization. The cabin was mentioned as "old" in the diary, so it was definitely much older now. What if it had fallen to bits by now? What if it could not be found, and the tomb was totally hidden in the forest?

She had never been good with directions, and now she felt completely lost herself. Anxiously, she looked back to see that the road behind her was not visible. But she regained hope when she realized there was an obviously brighter light in that direction. Her eyes were then focused on finding some evidence of a tomb. It had to be close.

When she tripped over a large, stone block, she abruptly realized it was closer than she thought. She moaned and mumbled angrily as she lifted herself from the ground, finding that vampire's possessed no invincibility from pain. But her spirits lifted when she noticed just how wonderful this block appeared. It was slightly covered by leaves, but most of the leaves rested around it. She fervently kicked away the leaves in its vicinity and found a heavy trap door which she lifted with ease.

A set of cold, wet stairs led her down into a strange cellar with a large metal door. She curiously opened it and entered a frigid room made of stone. It appeared as a very old cell with strong shackles attached to the ground. The shackles were definitely welded onto the floor many times, and looked just like a half-melted piece of chocolate morphing into the floor.

All about the room, she searched, but she found no sign of Katherine. There was no secret door or even a tomb-like essence about the place. She defiantly realized this was not even the tomb she was searching for. In a great mood of defeat, she leaned against the wall and gave a tired sigh.

"What are you doing here?"

Alex jumped as the deep, livid voice came from the door of the cell. In the dimly lit room, she could barely make out the silhouette of a tall, muscular figure. Fear strangled her, and she could not react to his booming question.

"What are you doing here?" the man repeated angrily, coming closer to Alex. She trembled for a moment, knowing she would not stand a chance against this furious beast of a man. But she faintly tasted his blood on the tip of her tongue as the smell of it was so vivid, remembered what she was, and stalked towards him bravely.

"My name is Alex," she told mightily. "I'm sorry to intrude on your pleasant, little cell here. But I was just looking for a certain place."

The pale light bending behind the figure now showed his face clearly. Though he looked like an extremely dangerous and ferocious individual, he was clearly only a teenager. His soft brown eyes stared at her with a wild curiosity, and for a moment she diagnosed him with a case of ADD.

"You're staying at the Salvatore mansion," he stated suddenly, his tone more inviting. "Stefan told me about you."

"Do you go to the same school as Stefan?" Alex asked gently. Suddenly, her eyes opened widely and she stared at him in distress. "School isn't out yet, is it?"

"Nah," he answered lazily. "I just ditch sometimes."

"That's comforting to know," Alex sighed, looking about the room awkwardly. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know where a certain tomb is, would you? It's supposed to be in this forest."

"Sure," he said. "It's supposed to be a magic tomb…I mean, if magic was real."

His voice was more than just slightly mysterious. Her guard flew up. "Who are you?"

"Tyler Lockwood," he replied coolly.

A werewolf? He was just a child. Damon must have been lying when he told Alex Tyler was a werewolf. But she couldn't doubt anything anyone said. Now she was in the middle of a game of secrets, and she had to play very carefully. Her and Tyler were keeping secrets from each other, but she had the upper hand.

"Would you be able to take me to this tomb?" she requested gently. "I'm visiting to investigate these old town legends."

"Sure," he answered plainly. "Follow me."

They exited the cell and started walking deeper into the forest. Though Alex was wary of leaving the guiding light of the edge of the forest, she became intrigued by the conversation Tyler started. He spoke of the tomb lightly, following the story that was in the diary. But he held a constant grin on his face, and he burst in to laughter at every few words. This teenager was supposedly a werewolf, yet he really did not know vampires existed. Alex started to worry of his safety in this vampire-infested town.

"Vampires and witches, huh?" she interrupted amusedly. "Don't tell me there are werewolves too." She knew she would quiet him, or perhaps shock him, but she felt a deep desire to learn more of werewolves.

Tyler looked down at the fallen leaves contemplatively. His deep brown eyes grew deeper, and his body stiffened. She wondered if she had gone too far with this simple suggestion. The books she had read last night did not focus much on werewolves, but the little information they held insisted werewolves were incredibly moody. They also had special powers outside of their wolf forms, and this began to frighten her. If this conversation got out of hand, she may have to battle this teenager as if he were a menacing beast. In the end, they both appeared equally awkward, completely lost in thoughts of their own.

"Werewolves," Tyler sighed. To Alex's surprise, his expression softened and his voice shook slightly. "The legend goes…it's not easy for them."

She examined his gentle eyes and discovered this could possibly be a therapeutic exchange. Tyler's whole body demonstrated a need to vent, and secrets could remain secrets, as long as she remained calm.

"How is it hard for them? I mean, what does the legend say?"

"The legend tells that the werewolf gene is passed on in certain families," Tyler explained tiredly. "But even if you have the gene, you're not going to change. Not unless you murder someone."

Alex's heart skipped a beat. She wanted to gasp, she wanted to scream, she wanted to run. If Tyler was already a werewolf, then he was already a murderer. She tried to think of an excuse for the kid. It wouldn't settle in her heart that he had killed someone.

"They have to murder someone?" Alex asked anxiously. "They actually kill someone?"

"Their strength and anger can get the best of them," Tyler continued with a miserable tone. "Maybe they don't mean to do it. I mean, the legend can mislead people."

"I certainly hope so," Alex whispered, a deep concern forming within her. Now she could feel her compassion reentering her view of Tyler, and she gave him a small smile. "Everyone is a person. It doesn't matter if they're a vampire or a werewolf."

An unconvincing grin came upon his face. "I guess."

Lazily, they strolled through the forest, existing in each other's ambiance of gloom. Alex wanted to comfort Tyler in any way possible, but her words would mean too much to her. She needed someone to reassure her humanity as well. To reassure herself would only increase her sense of loneliness.

"How are Stefan and Damon treating you?" Tyler questioned suddenly.

His question was truly an answer for Alex. As soon as she heard the names of her fellow vampires, her spirits lifted, and she realized she wasn't meant to stay alone for long. All the books she had read insisted vampires were solitary creatures, but she wasn't the same way. She needed to see another vampire soon. Katherine, though described as a menacing monster, was a form of support, and Alex had to get to her as soon as possible.

Alex was keen in dodging unnecessary conversations for the next few minutes. Quick, innocent interruptions made up most of her replies to Tyler's questions about herself. She even made playful skips ahead of Tyler to make him go faster. Unfortunately, this spontaneous behavior seemed to make the guy form a lively crush on her.

Through the awkward flirtation and conversation, they reached a leaf-covered set of stairs that lead down into a small cave. Alex's heart leapt with joy as she saw her exit, as well as an entrance to perhaps a new understanding of her situation. Before she could say goodbye, Tyler turned to her suddenly and gave a charming grin.

"Hey, what are you doing Saturday night?" he asked confidently, tilting his head slightly to the side.

"Ah, Saturday night?" she replied shakily. "I'm sorry. I'll have to be back home with my daughter by then."

Though she expected his initial reaction to show disappointment, it instead showed incredible shock, and a little horror. Obviously, this kid had no intentions of making a long-term commitment with her, and he definitely did not want to take care of a child. She smiled mischievously at his sudden loss of adoration for her.

"Oh, well, sorry," he mumbled rapidly. "I had no idea. Well, we're here. I guess I'll leave you to it. Bye, Alex."

She gave a small wave and then headed down the stairs into the dark, mysterious cave. A wonderful sense of victory clouded her mind for a moment, but she was suddenly struck by a feeling of perseverance. Upon the walls of the cave, mysterious symbols and words were carved, and the shadowy atmosphere gave a sense of adventure. She knew it was common in movies for a journey to end in a cave. The answers to ancient questions and magical artifacts all rested in caves. But she remembered this was no ordinary cave. This was a tomb: a tomb made for vampires. The horrible realization that she was considered undead overtook her, and she almost left the cave. But something caught her eye.

A huge, dark boulder leaned against one side of the tomb. It had many markings and words carves into them. She took a closer look and noticed these markings were not carved, but burned into the stone. It was an unimaginable concept, but she was not focused on that aspect.

Anxiously, she pulled back the neckline of her shirt to reveal her marked shoulder. It was difficult to see the markings on herself clearly without a mirror, but she was sure they matched some on the boulder. Each strange symbol was perfectly aligned. This tomb surely meant something. Katherine had to know.

With her patience to meet this estranged vampire now wearing quite thin, she took hold of the boulder, assuming it was the door of the tomb, and lifted it slowly. Her now superhuman strength surprised her, and she continued to lift the boulder completely from the wall and ground. With little effort, she carried it to the side of the now apparent doorway and gasped in horror. She nearly dropped the boulder as she saw the terrifying sight before her.

Katherine, or so it seemed to be, was sitting at the very edge of the doorway, leaning against the wall with a deadly look upon her face. Her eyes were dark and lifeless, and her whole body seemed to be in a state of mummification. Alex was quite stunned when she assumed Katherine was unable to be communicated with. But her real surprise came when she found her whole body shaking from the shock. Perhaps it was how much Katherine resembled Elena, a very kindhearted, compassionate person, but Alex couldn't figure out exactly why she was in such distress. She wandered towards the doorway slowly with one arm out cautiously.

"Do you want to end up like me?" Katherine's lifeless face suddenly moved, and Alex jumped back in alarm. The cold, dead lips moved with a lack of effort, and her voice was just a long, boring sigh. "You'll be trapped in here if you step any closer."

"Katherine?" Alex whispered uneasily as she slowly stepped back. "Katherine, is that you?"

"Do I know you?" Katherine asked weakly, her feeble, sluggish body rising to an upright position. The beautiful, zombie-like girl now sat up like a high school student attempting to stay awake for a history lecture.

"No," Alex answered shakily. "You don't know me. My name is Alex. But…did Damon and Stefan really just lock you up in here like this?"

"I guess I deserved it," Katherine muttered lazily. "All they want to do is protect their precious Elena. They just don't understand how useful she is."

"They left you here to die?" Alex questioned in astonishment.

"A vampire never really dies," Katherine explained leisurely. "We just sort of mummify. You can always awaken a vampire. Are you a friend of Stefan and Damon?"

"I suppose so," Alex told hesitantly, her confidence in them wearing thin. "I was kidnapped and turned into a vampire. Somehow, I ended up in MysticFalls, and Stefan found me."

"Oh, Stefan," Katherine sighed in a bittersweet tone. "I always loved him for his compassion. Unfortunately, it becomes his weakness at times."

"I…I'm sorry he did this to you," Alex said regretfully, attempting to keep her body steady.

"I've never seen someone so distraught over me," Katherine chuckled bleakly. "Perhaps Damon. He was always a little wishy-washy. Anyways, why are you here, Alex?"

In a moment of doubt and silence, Alex contemplated if her problems were truly important. Katherine was locked in a magical tomb forever, doomed to a long, terrible mummification, while Alex lived a rather luxurious life, as far as luxury went in the vampire world. She reached into her pocket, took out her picture of Elizabeth, looked at her baby with pure adoration, and resumed her task.

"I need your help," Alex said with a frail sternness. "While I was kidnapped, before I turned into a vampire, someone cast a spell on me."

Katherine seemed certainly interested, but her eyes still showed a great deal of uncontrollable paleness. The decaying vampire gave a stiff nod and Alex resumed.

"The spell burned markings onto my shoulder," Alex continued. "Damon, Stefan, and I talked to Bonnie, the witch in town." Katherine rolled her eyes at the name. "She looked at the markings and said they were for a very specific spell. It was a spell that could turn a vampire into a human again."

At this part of the story, Alex expected for Katherine to show some sign of interest like the other vampires in on the secret. But there was hardly a sign of interest on Katherine's face. Alex could not assume this was just her weak body's doing, but she continued on.

"I was hoping you knew more about it," Alex explained, Katherine's dull expression starting to intimidate her.

Katherine sat up a little straighter and looked at Alex coolly. "Show me the burns."

Eagerly, Alex pulled back the neckline of her shirt and bent down for Katherine to get a better look. For a moment, Katherine's eyes lit up, and she looked at the markings in wonder. Then, all of the sudden, she let out a small laugh and resumed her slouched position.

"I can't believe they actually did it," she chuckled.

"Did what?" Alex asked anxiously.

"It's called the Heart of Restoration Spell," Katherine explained amusedly. "The witch was right. It is a spell to turn a vampire back into a human, or multiple vampires if they drink the blood of the sacrifice just before the ritual. Only a very powerful witch can complete the spell. If their magic is not strong enough, they will just die right there on the spot."

Alex had many new fears and realizations, but no questions came to mind. After a few seconds of silence, Katherine ignored Alex's wide eyes and continued on with her story.

"In Bulgaria, no one taught me much of it," Katherine told. "Every single Original was searching for the right wizard to cast the spell. I guess they didn't want too many people to learn all the details of it, so that people wouldn't join in on their parade. But I learned on my own."

"If this vampire and wizard team wants to sacrifice me," Alex started frantically, "why didn't they just sacrifice me when they had me?"

"They need something else for the sacrifice to take place," Katherine insisted casually. "It's something called the Blood Stone. The legend goes this stone holds all the souls of every vampire to ever exist. I think it's complete crap, but I guess it's magic somehow. It must be part of the ritual."

"Do you know where the Blood Stone is?" Alex questioned eagerly.

"I'm afraid not," Katherine stated, her voice unapologetic. "But I know, since you carry the spell, you should be naturally drawn to it. You should be able to sense when you're near it. And the stone apparently does something funny when it senses you. When you both meet, the witch who cast the spell will feel your meeting, and he or she will come to claim the both of you."

As far as Alex was concerned, the stone only played another part in her impending fate. She wasn't much interested in the sacrifice she already knew about. Old questions were rising in her mind.

"Can I benefit from this spell?" Alex asked. "Can I turn back into a human?"

"I don't see how that's possible," Katherine admitted. "Your blood is useful to those who participate in the ritual, but you'll only die."

Alex found herself completely ready to believe Katherine, and that was extremely painful. A diligent spirit of perseverance entered her heart, and she stomped her foot upon the ground furiously. "There's got to be a way," she whispered angrily. "There just has to!"

"Alex," Katherine called quietly. "Why are you so eager to become a human again."

Her daughter's laugh could be heard in her ears, and she could see her face so clearly in her mind. The wonderful, tender memories of Elizabeth clouded her mind, and she fell to the ground in tears.

"My daughter," she told erratically. "My daughter is at home in Brooklyn, barely two years old, and I'm in Virginia, drinking human blood to survive. How could these people do this to me? Did they even know how they would ruin our lives?"

This passionate speech seemed to move Katherine's fragile body. The otherwise careless vampire gave a quick, sympathetic glance towards Alex before awkwardly pointing her gaze at the floor. Alex suddenly remembered the story of Katherine that Damon told, and a gentle compassion pushed some of the sadness from her heart.

"Katherine, you had a child, right?" Alex cautiously asked Katherine like a woman precariously requesting something from a shy child.

"You've seen Elena, haven't you?" Katherine started bitterly. "It's obvious…"

"Were you turned into a vampire against your will?" Alex continued curiously. "Did you have to leave your child."

Katherine looked up with a cold, furious look. An anticipation of terrible retaliation took over Alex, and she regretted her question at once. But Katherine's eyes softened, and she stared down at the ground again with a sad, desperate look.

"My baby was taken away from me when I was sixteen," Katherine replied coldly. "Of course, it was a terrible sin to have a baby out of wedlock in the fifteenth century. My father would not endure the shame and humiliation that the baby would bring, so he sent her off as soon as she was born. I could not even hold her for long."

Though they were said to be two very different people, Alex felt incredibly close to Katherine. She looked upon the girl with compassion and never anger, unlike the way Damon described her with such hatred. A few minutes of silence blew between them, but then Katherine was continuing with a great deal of sentiment.

"In the end, I became a vampire by my own will," Katherine sobbed quietly. "But it doesn't mean I don't feel the same way you do now." Her desperate brown eyes caught Alex up into a state of deep sorrow. "I mean, I lost my baby. I miss her even now."

"I believe you," Alex promised devotedly, understanding Damon or Stefan never gave such a thought as this to Katherine's past. "I definitely believe you."

"I just didn't want to be the next Petrova doppelganger that they tried to sacrifice," Katherine sighed, quickly wiping the tears from her eyes. "I was selfish. But I see that you only want to be with your daughter. You're better than I ever was."

"I don't think so," Alex assured. But she could not think of anything more to say. The thought of Elizabeth was weighing down on her with such pressure she could not think. In silence, they both sat there, each on a different side of a magic wall. They were separated, yet they met in a way only mothers could meet. Eventually, Alex gathered her thoughts and grinned slightly.

"Katherine, I'd like to visit you again," Alex suggested gently. "If you'll talk with me tomorrow, I'll bring some blood for you."

The word was obviously extremely tempting for the deprived vampire, who leapt up from the floor with a sudden vigor. Katherine stared at Alex eagerly and nodded.

"Oh, please, I would love that," Katherine insisted strongly. "I mean, both the talk and the blood."

"But mostly the blood," Alex smirked, rising from the floor slowly. "I can't stand to see you just wither away in this tomb. I'll come back tomorrow. Thank you, Katherine."

"Goodbye, Alex," Katherine called, her voice much more friendly now.

In much distress, Alex left the tomb. She walked through the forest, almost immediately finding a road to take her back to the mansion. All throughout her walk, she could think of nothing but Elizabeth. Her daughter seemed almost intangible now. She felt like the little girl was in a whole different dimension, and she could not be visited any longer. This was hardly reality on a physical sense, but immense frustration on a spiritual sense.

After a long, passionate conversation with herself, Alex accepted her fate. She accepted it with a despicable grudge and a release of many tears, but she knew she could not change this. She would either live as a vampire forever, or die as a mere pawn in some vampire's master plan. Or perhaps this particular vampire had a family of his own he wanted to get back to. Maybe he had the same intentions Alex did.

All of this confused her incredibly, and she decided to focus on the Blood Stone. It was in MysticFalls apparently, and she was meant to find it. A museum may contain it, if it really is a valuable artifact. Again, her brain was overworked by all the possibilities of its location, and she threw all her thoughts away.

Upon arriving at the mansion, she realized it was well past three 'o' clock, and Damon and Stefan were already at home. They looked at her with concern as soon as she walked through the door. Many questions were asked, but she answered them all by simply telling them both that she had gone to Brooklyn to check on Elizabeth. She then rushed upstairs, feeling her own liar's imagination was really her deepest desire.

Lying in her bed mournfully, she began to cry as she thought of Elizabeth. She may never hold her own daughter again, and this thought filled her with absolute horror. Nothing could comfort her. She only looked forward to reuniting with Katherine tomorrow to continue their empathetic conversation. No one knew her pain quite like Katherine.


	6. The Stone

Alex was up early the next morning. It wasn't her intention to, but her body threw her up from the bed and sent her downstairs to the cooler of blood in the cellar. Yesterday had distracted her from her growing need for blood, and now she knew she would fall into a beastly sort of feasting. She reached into the cooler and took out a blood bag. Just before she could rip the top off the bag, soft footsteps greeted her at the door of the cellar.

"Hungry?" Damon asked casually. "You shouldn't keep yourself from drinking."

"Damon, please leave," Alex begged desperately, keeping a tight hold on the bag of blood. "I don't want anyone to see me like this."

"You don't have to be like this," he assured. Slowly, he walked up to her and gently took her hand. In a state of starvation and confusion, she followed Damon out of the cellar and into the living room. Her body was shaking with desire, and she nearly hissed at Damon when he took the blood bag from her hand.

"Have a seat," he suggested, leaving her and heading towards a small desk in the corner of the room.

Reluctantly, she sat on the couch, anxiously watching as Damon poured some blood into a wine glass. She always thought this habit of his was incredibly foolish and almost arrogant. But as he returned to her and handed her the glass of blood, she realized his purpose for this simple task. Humanity became more of an option with each proper sip of the liquid, and it was easier to imagine this as a lifetime ceremony. She returned his friendly smile with a grin of her own, and then he sat next to her.

"It's not so bad," he smirked comfortingly. "You've just got to create a schedule so you're not on edge all the time."

"Thank you, Damon," Alex replied quietly. "You've really helped me out, you know."

"I'm glad," he smiled. His face soon expressed a bit of awkwardness, and she tilted her head with interest.

"What's the matter, Damon?" she asked curiously.

"I never got to talk to you about yesterday morning," he sighed regretfully.

Alex's memory of yesterday's embarrassing morning returned to her, and she clumsily sat up on the sofa. Being in such a close vicinity of Damon could bring yet another unwanted humiliation if Sheriff Forbes decided to show up unexpectedly again.

"Ah, yesterday," she whispered nervously. "I guess I forgot."

"Well, I didn't," Damon replied sternly. "I mean, the whole situation was terribly suggestive. I definitely understand how Sheriff Forbes could have imagined such a story. Please believe I tried to straighten her out in the car. But she wouldn't believe me."

"I suppose you have a reputation then," Alex suggested, a feeling of disappointment strangely in her heart. "You bring girls around often."

"Yes," he answered reluctantly. "But sometimes there are those who come around every once in a while. And you know that they're not just for fun. You know they're someone to love."

Alex felt a faint rush of blood to her cheeks, and she somehow wondered if those words were meant for her. She blushed completely when she realized how much she actually_ wanted_ those words to be for her. Damon had helped her so much. Perhaps she was only falling for him because he saved her in a way. Or maybe she was just falling for him completely.

"Do you have any meetings today?" she asked quickly, her romantic thoughts now making her uncomfortable.

He rose from the couch and gave a long sigh. "I'm afraid so. The Founder's  
Council is facing a little suspicion from the FBI. Too many inexplicable deaths, I guess. We'll straighten it out eventually. But I might be gone for a while. And Stefan will be at school."

"I still have the money he gave me yesterday," Alex informed, rising to her feet. "I'll just take a tour around town."

"Maybe you could go to the museum or something," he suggested, a look of slight desperation on his face. "Look, Alex, I'm sorry that we're out of the house so much. I know this is really hard on you. If I could spend time to talk with you, I would."

"Don't worry," Alex grinned. She knew Damon had the right intentions, but deep inside, she knew he would not fully understand. Really, she wanted to visit Katherine as soon as she could. "I'll find something to do."

He nodded his head slowly, but his eyes expressed an awkward frustration. Just as she assumed he would leave, he suddenly wrapped his arms around her and held her in a tender hug. In an emotion she could only describe as a chemical mixture of confusion and delight, she eagerly returned his embrace. She refrained from crying, though this was exactly what she wanted to do in his arms. Instead, she absorbed the wonderful feeling of safety he brought her.

"Don't be sad, Alex," Damon whispered, sounding like a little boy attempting to comfort his heartbroken mother. "In this vast world of magic, there must be some way to get you back to humanity."

"I think you've made this humanity for me," she replied with a strained voice. "This would have been much harder without you."

For a few minutes, they just stood there in each other's arms. She almost laughed at how difficult it was for her to imagine falling for Damon only a few moments ago. But now she would not mind if Sheriff Forbes walked in on them, which indeed she suddenly did. It was an exact reenactment of yesterday morning's fiasco. Slowly, Alex separated herself from Damon, and saw Sheriff Forbes and Stefan staring at them awkwardly.

"Wow," Stefan sighed wearily. "Sheriff Forbes, I'm sure, like yesterday, there is an explanation."

"Of course there is," Alex suddenly interrupted, reaching out and taking hold of Damon's hand. "Isn't it obvious?"

This move did not change the smart smirk on Sheriff Forbes' face, but it kept her quiet. Stefan only stared at them with a dumbfounded expression.

"What?" Stefan exclaimed in confusion. "What are you saying?"

"Damon and I are an item," Alex explained simply with a sly grin on her face. "Is there anything wrong with that?" She peered over at Damon curiously, wondering just how he was handling this strange turn of predictable embarrassment. He only smiled at her lovingly and kissed the air humorously.

"I can't believe it," Stefan breathed. "I just can't believe it."

"Well, I believe it, Stefan," Sheriff Forbes chuckled. "I'm sorry to break you two lovebirds apart, but it's time to go, Damon."

"Of course, Sheriff," he replied politely. Before he left, he looked back at Alex with a more meaningful grin that had no hint of deception or sarcasm, and he squeezed her hand gently. She understood that their romantic feeling was mutual, and reluctantly let go of his hand.

"Goodbye, dear," she called.

"So long, sweetie," Damon smirked in reply.

Alex was then left in the living room with a very confused, very appalled Stefan. She laughed childishly and fell down onto the couch. Eagerly, she awaited Stefan's outburst.

"Is this really true?" Stefan questioned. "Or were you just putting on a show for Sheriff Forbes."

"At first, I think we were," Alex suggested happily. "But now I think we've really got a connection."

Stefan shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. "If I consider this any longer, I'll get a headache." His backpack was next to the coffee table, and he quickly scooped it up with one hand. "Don't forget to drink the rest of your blood. It's not safe to go hungry in town."

Stefan's words suddenly reminded Alex of how grim her situation was. Certainly, the blushing crush she experienced only a few minutes ago was unimportant. As soon as Stefan left the mansion, she angrily took the glass of blood in her hand and finished it. Its delightful flavor only sickened her. She wanted to sit there and curse her desire for the blood, but she figured her time would be spent more appropriately bringing it to those who truly wanted it. Quickly, she took a bag of blood from the cooler downstairs, put it in a random bag lying in the living room, and headed out the door.

As Alex walked through the neighborhood, Elizabeth reentered her mind. Or, rather, her presence in her mind was intensified. The little girl never exited her thoughts. But the beautiful scenery and quiet area resembled a dream Alex had: the dream of bringing Elizabeth to live in a place like this, much more pleasant than their dubious neighborhood in Brooklyn. Surely her daughter would love to play in the huge backyard of the Salvatore mansion, or she would run wild in the leaf-covered front lawns of the neighborhood residents.

Alex realized she was wearing the same outfit she wore yesterday, but this hardly upset her. Her appearance was always very important to her, but now it was a matter of crude concern. These past few days had taught her there were more critical issues in her life. Before, she knew Elizabeth would always be waiting for her at home. Now she wondered if she would ever be able to see Elizabeth again.

When she reached the forest, she quickened her pace, realizing the blood she was carrying was meant to be on ice. With super speed, she reached the cave and entered it eagerly. Katherine's motionless body resting just at the doorway of the now revealed corridor of the tomb was again incredibly shocking, but Alex knew she had an answer to Katherine's most vital problem.

"Katherine." As soon as Alex called Katherine's name, the desperate vampire leapt up from her immobile state and stood just in front of Alex. It was obvious Katherine wasn't too thrilled with the magical barrier between her and the blood.

"I smell it," Katherine whispered hurriedly. "You brought it?"

"Yes," Alex told shakily, Katherine's beastly expression a little frightening. "Catch."

Carefully, Alex took the container of blood out of her bag and threw it to Katherine. Before even a few seconds had passed, Katherine had bitten the top of the bag and started to drink the blood. This mad longing that Katherine showed represented the very opposite of how Alex wanted to act, but she understood her desperation.

"Thank you," Katherine sighed in relief, tightly grasping the now empty blood bag in her hands.

"Do you feel better?" asked Alex, slowly exiting her state of shock. "Are you any less mummified?"

"Definitely," Katherine gasped, her desperate panting echoing through the cave. "It's been so long."

"Well, now I'm here," Alex replied confidently, taking a seat in front of the tomb. "I'm not too keen on this abuse Damon and Stefan are putting you through."

"I don't think you understand who I am," Katherine mumbled, slowly dropping to the ground as well. "Haven't Stefan and Damon told you anything about me?"

"A few things," Alex admitted reluctantly, lacking the curiosity to truly learn everything of Katherine's past. "It doesn't really matter."

"I would be cheating you if I let you leave it at that," Katherine sighed wearily. She absentmindedly started to draw symbols in the dirt. "You're a good person, Alex. I would hate for you to know my past, because I know your view of me would change. But I like you too much to leave you in the dark."

Halfheartedly, Alex nodded her head, anticipating a difficult story to hear. But she realized this was only a part of Katherine's personality seen infrequently. She readied herself for Katherine's words, and then listened carefully.

"I've killed a lot of people, you know," Katherine started confidently, her bluntness sending chills down Alex's spine. "I'm not one of those vampires who thinks it's a bad thing to actually kill someone. In fact, I've killed people very close to Stefan, Damon, and Elena. Caroline Forbes was one of them."

"Caroline Forbes?" Alex questioned immediately. "But she's alive. She's only a vampire."

"You have to die in order to become a vampire," Katherine informed regretfully. "Maybe Stefan or Damon has talked to you about this? Well, it doesn't matter anymore, really…"

Though Katherine had held a very strong front as she told her story, her eyes now showed a deep remorse. Initially, Alex had been slightly appalled by Katherine's words, but now she understood the deep struggle within Katherine. It was a struggle she herself could have faced if Stefan and Damon hadn't rescued her from such a fate. The bitterness of her stolen daughter and the anger of being a Petrova doppelganger sent her into this phase. Slowly, Alex began to grin reassuringly.

"Katherine, I don't really care what you've done," Alex promised endearingly. "I know Damon and Stefan could never understand you, but I do. Elizabeth is my daughter, and my mind is only in a slight bit of peace knowing where she is. I can't imagine what it was like to lose your daughter in such a way."

With a small light of gratefulness, Katherine peered up at Alex from her gloomy sulk and smirked. "You're a strange person, Alex. Somehow, you can't see just how evil the people of this world are."

"Or maybe the world can't see how good the people are," Alex suggested cheerily.

Their conversation grew lighter as Katherine brought up the great change the whole world made. It was incredibly difficult for Alex to understand that Katherine was indeed over five-hundred years old. Everything she said about Bulgaria and old America was certainly interesting, and they talked for a long while. Katherine even mentioned her time in Bulgaria when her true name was Katerina Petrova. Eventually, twilight was imminent, and she knew her excuses would be harder to explain. Knowing how shrewd and conniving Katherine was, even though in an usually evil way, Alex asked her what to say to Damon and Stefan.

"I would tell them you were talking with me," Katherine chuckled deviously. "That would really get on their nerves. Of course, you don't seem like a very cruel person."

"You're right, Katherine," Alex suddenly insisted. "It wouldn't be cruel. It would be the truth. You knew all the answers to this situation. It's about time they where let in on this. They can't act like you're the bad guy anymore."

"Oh, how blind you can be, Alex," Katherine grinned darkly.

As Alex walked back to the mansion, Elizabeth was still blatantly on her mind, but her attitude was much brighter. It was easier to see just how lucky she really was. Her little girl was safe with her mother in a warm home. Damon and Stefan seemed completely adamant about keeping her child safe. And they were wonderful friends who helped her. Though she wasn't brave enough to die a hero's death, she could understand her sacrifice to that point. It hurt like a burning blade in her heart, but she could feel it clearly for what it was.

As soon as she walked up to the Salvatore mansion, Damon rushed out the door and greeted her on the front lawn. His eyes were wide open with terror, and panic shone as his main expression.

"Alex, are you okay?" he asked quickly, taking her hands in his.

"Of course I am," Alex assured swiftly, anxiously expecting some very terrible news. "Damon, what happened? Why are you like this?"

"Elijah broke into the mansion," Damon informed frantically. "He brought a witch with him. They were looking for you."

"What?" Alex's mind was running wild. First, she had no clue who this Elijah was, though she remembered Damon mentioning him in a past conversation as an Original vampire. Her main thought was only on the image Damon gave her with his words. A duo consisting of a vampire and a witch were looking for her in town. These could be the very captors she was dreading. "Damon, I can't believe it."

"We convinced them you weren't with us," Damon explained fervently. "Apparently, they had heard from their friendly neighborhood vampires that a special sacrifice was in town."

"Does that mean they aren't the ones who cast the spell on me?" Alex questioned nervously.

"No," Damon answered hesitantly. "I think they just wanted to perform the sacrifice themselves. Quickly, Alex. Come inside."

Damon whisked Alex into the mansion, where Stefan and Elena were both standing in the living room. They seemed a bit shaken, and Elena kept her arms around Stefan tensely. But Alex felt the most uneasy.

"You have to tell me what they said," Alex requested hastily.

"They were very enthusiastic," Stefan told in a more steady voice than Damon's. "I'm very sure they wanted you for the sacrifice. But I can't imagine why."

"The Originals like being vampires," Elena interrupted quickly. "Why would they want to become humans again? Don't they just want more power?"

"Perhaps there's more to this sacrifice than we know," Stefan suggested. "I know they waved around some little red stone like it was important. They said you were nothing without the Blood Stone."

Alex's mind emptied suddenly. A confusing joy began to fill her vacant head, and she wondered why she should be so excited. Fear was her next emotion, but a heavy happiness still remained. The idea of finding this stone compelled her.

"We have to find them," Alex stated boldly. "We have to get that stone."

"Is it important?" Damon asked with a little fear. "Can it help you?"

The ironic question passed right by Alex's ears. "Where would they go? Who would they see?"

"Well, Katherine plays a big part in most of the schemes of MysticFalls," Stefan told with a short sigh. "Maybe they would see her. They'll interrogate her a little."

"Interrogate?" Alex exclaimed anxiously. "Stefan, I may be new to this vampire world, but I definitely know that an interrogation here is a horrible understatement." Her obvious disgust seemed to shock everyone in the room. "We have to save Katherine. Come on."

Without another word, Alex rushed out of the house with super speed. At first, she was alone, but Damon was soon with her, and she could hear an almost inaudible interview taking place. "Alex, what are you doing? This is crazy? Save Katherine?" His words were just pieces of wind barely touching her ears, but she eventually slowed down as they neared the tomb.

"Alex, please, talk to me," Damon begged as they trudged through the forest at a more human speed. "I don't understand what Katherine has to do with this."

"You never understood what Katherine had to do with anything," Alex said angrily. "Within five minutes of talking to her yesterday, I knew exactly what this spell was all about. I knew what I had to do."

"You talked to Katherine?" Damon asked avidly. "I told you she was dangerous, Alex. She could be manipulating you right now."

"Shut up, Damon," Alex commanded furiously, her speed picking up. "Just follow me."

She could feel Damon's obvious frustration, but she ignored it all. No peace would come to her until she saw the tomb. At least, that was what she thought. When she spotted the leaf-covered stairs, her heart skipped a beat, and an odd pulsing was sent through her veins. The tingling sensation that began in her chest and worked its way throughout her body almost caused her to collapse, but she made no allusion of this in her actions. She entered the cave slowly.

"Katerina." The voice was stern and chilling. "Dear Katerina, why won't you tell us the truth?"

Heavy, desperate breathing could be heard from Katherine as Alex stood at the doorway of the cave silently. She was sure Katherine was being tortured in some way, but her body was currently exhausted and unstable. Unable to hide her inexplicable weariness, she leaned against the wall of the doorway and held in a sigh of slight relief. Quietly, she shooed Damon's gestures to help her and continued to listen.

"You're crazy, Elijah," Katherine told in a struggled voice. A venomous smirk could be heard in her words even through her quick breathing. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, Katerina," Elijah started callously. "You've always been the clever one. You hide so many secrets. Perhaps you've just lost it in that pretty head of yours. I am absolutely sure you know everything in this town, even when you are trapped in that little tomb of course. You see, the Blood Stone is glowing even now as we speak. The sacrifice is near."

"It is glowing faster, Elijah," a more concerned voice called. "She must be closer."

"Give us the information, Katerina," Elijah ordered, his calm voice now holding a menacing tone. "You don't want to make this difficult."

"But isn't that my specialty?" Katherine remarked slyly.

Suddenly, there was a horrifying sound of the piercing of flesh, and Katherine let out a stifled cry. Alex knew Katherine was a most resilient vampire accustomed to much pain, but Katherine's painful whimpers were too much for her, and she leapt out of her hiding place. She did not mean to let out a shriek of any kind, but that is what happened when she saw what was before her.

Standing in the cave, just outside the tomb, was Katherine Pierce with an ancient-looking knife in her abdomen. A great amount of blood sullied her shirt where the knife penetrated, but that was hardly the disturbing part. Katherine's expression showed all the great effects of unbearable pain. Her wide-open eyes stared at Alex with surprise and terror as she stood there weakly holding the handle of the knife inside her body.

That, of course, was the first sight that caught Alex's attention. At first, she did not notice the two other figures standing near Katherine. One was an extremely tall man with a very stone-like face. His expression of self-assurance seemed unbreakable. The other figure was a man slightly shorter, with ebony skin and sculpted, short hair. He showed surprise in his eyes, but it was very different from Katherine's.

"Well," the tall, impassive one started, stalking towards Alex slowly. "I think we've found our sacrifice, Jonas."

"She is the one, Elijah," Jonas replied excitedly. "The stone is out of control."

Now Alex noticed a small stone in Jonas's right hand. It was a light orange, from what she could understand, until it quickly changed into a clear white. Swiftly, it pulsated back and forth from red to white, and Alex realized its rhythm matched up with the strange throbbing in her body. It was the Blood Stone.

"What is your name, girl?" Elijah asked with a welcoming smirk.

"Leave," Alex ordered shakily, ignoring his odd affability. "Leave right now."

"If you'll join us," he began, "then that would certainly be an option."

"She's not leaving with you," Damon shouted feverishly. Alex hadn't noticed his presence behind her, but she was still quite unfocused on him. Her frightened gaze was fixed on Elijah.

"You are mistaken," Elijah warned, his inviting smile wiped away from his face. "She is to be sacrificed. It is her only duty."

"I'll kill you," Damon growled furiously as he moved towards Elijah.

"And you are certain you could kill an Original?" Elijah asked amusingly. Damon slowly stopped in his tracks, but the valor was still there in his body.

"Leave!" Alex interrupted again. "Leave here and never come back!"

It appeared as if Elijah were going to let out a wily laugh, but his expression suddenly died. He then appeared as a cold statue, and he stared at Alex dutifully. Though she did not fully understand the process of compelling, her body sent her forward with the act.

"Leave," she repeated, eagerly gazing into his eyes. "And never come back."

After a few seconds of silence, the menacing vampire simply walked past Alex and Damon, went through the doorway, and walked up the stairs. Soon, his footsteps outside could not be heard. Jonas stared at Alex in amazement.

"You compelled an Original," he exclaimed in surprise. "That is unheard of."

"Hopefully you're compelled enough by what just happened," Damon hissed. "Get out of here."

"Not so fast," Jonas said.

A sharp, agonizing pain suddenly filled Alex's head. She fell to the ground and screamed at the top of her lungs as she desperately clutched her head. Everything was so blurry and piercing, and she could not understand exactly what happened next. A loud boom could be heard, and the pain slowly dulled. Through a thin blanket of tears, she could see Jonas on the ground, apparently in much pain. Damon suddenly lifted him from the ground, said a few words, and then the witch left the tomb swiftly.

"Alex," Damon called frantically, kneeling down beside the recovering vampire. "Alex, are you okay?"

"Yeah," Alex assured weakly, slowly raising herself into a sitting position. Her aching mind wandered for a while until she spotted Katherine on the ground at the opposite wall of the cave. Blood continued to pour from her now open wound as the knife resided on the ground. Frantically, Alex leapt up and rushed over to Katherine. Her hands hovered aimlessly above Katherine's wounds as she heard the painful whimpers.

"Katherine," Alex started nervously. "Katherine, I'm so sorry. They wouldn't have done this to you if I wasn't around."

"It'll heal," Katherine told weakly. "They did one good thing. They got me out of that tomb."

"It was their biggest mistake," Damon whispered from near the doorway of the cave.

"Shut up, Damon," Alex retorted angrily. "Listen, Katherine. Here's my arm. Drink as much as you need to."

The whole notion seemed incredibly bizarre to Alex as she offered her arm to Katherine. But her compassion was taking over, and it was simply an instinct. Life slowly drained from her body as Katherine drank her blood, but it felt only like giving a very expensive gift. It was difficult to donate it at first, but the feeling she received in return was rewarding.

"Thank you," Katherine mumbled quickly after drinking for only a few seconds. "But it will heal. Don't worry."

"Alright, Katherine," Alex smiled. But her smile did not last. She suddenly shook her head, desperately trying to rid herself of the now more noticeable pulsations in her body. Anxiously, she looked back onto the floor where Jonas had been lying, and she spotted the stone. It seemed to call to her. Every single throb of red and white hypnotized her, and she found herself moving towards it. When she reached it, she stooped down to take it, then not aware of a threatening shout from Katherine. As soon as she touched it, her mind spun around at the speed of light.

Now her eyes were filled with red and white, and the colors were blinding. They were all she could see for a few moments, until the colors became images. There was an image of a man speaking to Alex. He appeared greatly excited, but his eyes still expressed an inexplicable aloofness. Suddenly, the man dashed from her presence, and she was left in a cold, dark cellar. The images faded into colors again, and the colors faded into reality. She saw the cave suddenly come into view, and she felt Damon tightly holding onto her hand.

"Alex," he started, worry shining from his eyes. "What just happened?"

"I don't know," Alex admitted fearfully, looking down at the now completely white Blood Stone.

"Alex!" Katherine called from the floor, her whole appearance now more sturdy. "Alex, you've touched it. They're coming for you!"

"I don't understand!" Damon exclaimed anxiously. "What is happening?"

"Damon, take the stone from Alex," Katherine commanded. A hysterical Damon quickly followed her instruction. "Now run! Get as far away from here as possible! Go!"

Though Alex felt crying was her most appealing option now, she had no such choice. Without even a second to relax, Damon pulled her out of the tomb and lead her through the forest at a vampire speed. The forest flew past her without even a bird's chirping or a leaf's crunching. She was losing everything at an unbearable speed, both in her eyes and in her heart.


	7. The Cabin

It was just beginning to drizzle when they finally slowed down. Without ever releasing her hand, Damon led Alex through the forest until they came to an unoccupied cabin. Quickly they stowed away into the farthest bedroom from the front door. Though the walls were sturdy and the doors were closed, safety seemed like a distant myth from long ago. The wind howled relentlessly and the young tree outside constantly banged up against the side of the house. Each small and large noise made Alex shiver. There was no light but the moon's, but even that only made the room more terrifying.

"It's okay," Damon assured, making a swift check out the window and nervously pacing about the room. "We'll find a place to hide this stone, and then you'll be safe. They won't come after you anymore. You'll be safe…"

He continued on like this for a few minutes, but Alex was not paying any attention. Her heart was beating with an incredible speed to match her racing mind. As she sat on the bed shivering, thoughts swirled about in her head, and confusion went along with each one. Elizabeth was simply her main priority right now, but her motherly instinct conflicted with her decreasing cowardice. She now felt it was silly to ever imagine a life with her daughter again, and her destiny was both to her and to her new friends.

"It's silly to run this way," she suddenly whispered. "They'll find us eventually. I'll have to die."

"Don't say that!" Damon yelled, aggressively throwing his fists in front of him. "This is crazy. Elena has gotten out of deadlier situations than this. You can't talk like that."

"Don't you see, Damon?" she started calmly as she rose from the bed. "I can't live without Elizabeth. And if I died, you could have a better life."

"No!" Damon exclaimed desperately. "No, you don't know what you're saying. You can't just go to die. That's ridiculous."

She was not stable enough to give a real argument, though the words were strident in her mind. Anxiously, she looked up to see Damon, who was staring at her with thoughtful eyes. He stared around the room with his racing mind shining through his eyes. Suddenly, he rushed over to her and took her hands.

"Alex, what is Elizabeth's favorite toy?" he asked urgently.

The question was so unexpected, she could not imagine an answer. After a few silent moments, she was able to produce a reply, but she did not know what it was for. "A stuffed toy of Mickey Mouse. Damon why are you asking me this?"

"And her favorite movie?"

"Pocahontas," Alex answered as she remembered how diligently Elizabeth would watch it every day.

"Where is her favorite place to go?"

"The park," Alex grumbled, the memories now turning sour on her tongue. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doesn't it make you miss her?" Damon asked, an excitement within his jumpiness. "You are the only one who knows her this way. You can't just abandon her. Don't you love her?"

Alex took great offense to this question, and her jaw locked into a heated tension. "Of course I love her, Damon! That is not the question here. What I'm saying is that there is no way for me to care for her like this. I can't be her mother, a blood-sucking vampire, always slightly longing to stick my teeth into her neck and steal all her life. It won't be fair to the both of us when she turns nineteen, and we look like twins. What kind of mother would I be to do that to her? How dare I even think of putting her through that!"

Soft tears started to slowly pour down her face, and Damon was left speechless, but only for a moment. A desperation filled his face, and he quietly started to speak.

"Who will take care of her?" he asked gently. "Who will be her mother?"

The answer to this question had just recently come to Alex's mind, but she knew now was not the place to discuss it. Her idea would place Damon in a state of shock, panic, and even anger. He may even kidnap her and keep her from ever dying. But before she could start to explain her temporary excuses, a sound was heard from outside. It was not the tree hitting against the side of the cabin. It was definitely something else, and Damon seemed to notice the seriousness of this before anyone else.

"Shh," he murmured, slowly moving to the window. Only moonlight illuminated the night, and shadows were more easily recognized. Suddenly, a tall shadow covered the window and caused the room to turn pitch black. Alex stared at the black window with a horrible chill deep in her chest. Her heart completely stopped as she noticed a pair of familiar, sinister green eyes peering into the room like a hungry man looking into a warm bakery. The eyes left after only a few seconds, but Alex still felt their terrifying presence in the room.

"Stay here," Damon growled, heading towards the door of the room.

"Damon, where are you going?" Alex questioned hysterically, following Damon to the door. "You can't go out there!"

"Stay here," Damon repeated with even more rage than before.

Both obedience and fear cause Alex to stay in the room. But she felt like her spirit had left her body and was now with Damon. She sat upright on the bed, leaving her ears open to any sign of confrontation between Damon and the unknown figure. A layer of frost covered her body as she heard a loud snarl.

It was unclear what exactly was going on. Grunting and the tearing of clothes was all she could really hear. She was grateful no piercing of flesh was evident in the sounds, but she could just be hearing it all wrong. Perhaps Damon was winning. Maybe he was already dead.

She jumped off the bed as the living room door slammed open. The howling wind and heavy footsteps added to her already incredible fear, and she backed away into the corner of the bedroom. Anxiously, she anticipated the unknown figure walking into the room with a menacing, jagged smile and devious green eyes. The footsteps grew louder and louder, and she gave a great gasp as a large figure stumbled into the dark room.

It was Damon. The pale moonlight shone brightly on his watery blue eyes, and she eagerly rushed him to the bed. Weakly, he lay down and gripped his stomach. His violent breathing almost shocked Alex into stillness.

"Damon!" she screamed frenziedly. "Damon, are you okay? Where are you hurt?"

As he could not immediately answer her, she started to feel his chest and abdomen. His tattered shirt was all wet with what she hoped was rain. But as she brought her now soaked hand to the moonlight, she could see the dark red color of blood. Hastily, she ran over to the closet and found some extra sheets. She threw them over his stomach and pressed down hard.

"I don't see where you're hurt," she told anxiously. "I can't see anything in here, Damon. Is this the place?"

"He scratched me up on my chest," Damon mumbled, causing Alex to move her applied pressure right away. "My face is probably a little deformed now. He knocked me around pretty bad. But I think I broke his leg. He won't be coming back for a while."

"Oh, goodness, Damon," Alex cried. "I can't believe you would go out there for me. It was really stupid, Damon."

"Why wouldn't I do it?" he asked with a weak smirk. "You deserve to be protected."

"Not anymore," said Alex sternly. "As soon as you get better, you're going to give me the Blood Stone, and I'm going to go with them."

The smile wiped off Damon's face instantly. "No, Alex."

"Yes, Damon," Alex protested confidently. "But I'll only go with them if they allow anyone who wants to change to join in the sacrifice. You can be human again, Damon. Don't you want to be human again?"

"I don't want to be human without you," he replied fiercely, suddenly grabbing her hand.

As they were there in the moonlight, Alex felt the deep passion of romance. No one, not even Elizabeth's father, had ever given her so much security and friendship. She considered the idea of marrying this man who had just risked his life for her sake. She imagined raising Elizabeth in the affectionate light that Damon gave. But her heart broke into a thousand miserable pieces as even this dream conflicted with what she needed to do. Tearfully, she shook her head.

"I can't, Damon," she sobbed. "I just can't. I don't want any of this in my daughter's life. For that to be, I can't exist anymore. I could run away with you and live forever with you, but she is my first love. I'm sorry, Damon. It's impossible."


	8. A Mother's Instinct

The sky finally cleared over MysticFalls after a gloomy dawn that never came. Water still soaked the earth, and the brightness of the daylight still was very new. But an incredible tension still existed on a quiet neighborhood street. A certain mansion was filled with anxiety as pairs of eyes continued to peer out the windows.

Suddenly, two figures could be seen walking down the street. The taller one walked with a limp and was weakly supported by the second one. As they drew closer to the mansion, exhaustion was obvious on their faces. Looks of fatigue, sorrow, and revelation all appeared in their expressions. A certain distance was between them even as they walked so close together, touching at the sides.

Two people ran out to meet them.

"Alex!" Katherine yelled, almost colliding with both Alex and Damon on the front lawn. "What happened?"

"Damon's hurt," Stefan noted anxiously. "Let's get them both inside."

The two weary vampires were rushed inside and treated to swift and thorough treatment. Damon needed even more blood, though he had accepted much from Alex. When Katherine heard of how much blood Alex actually gave Damon to drink, she gasped disapprovingly and rushed to the cellar to retrieve as much blood as she could.

Along with Stefan and Katherine, Elena and Caroline were also there. They were both anxious, though Caroline seemed to have taken an immediate disliking to Alex. Everyone had the same mission: to save Alex and Damon. But Alex perceived an even greater mission that she had to complete.

"Damon, where's the Blood Stone?" she asked calmly after they were both slightly revived. "I need it."

"What?" Stefan suddenly interrupted. It was clear Katherine had told everyone the whole story of the situation now. "You can't touch that, Alex. That's what made this happen."

"It will be different this time," Alex insisted simply, slowly stumbling around the living room like a weak hospital patient just out of surgery. "I'm going to end all this."

"Alex," Katherine called, leaping up from the couch and stalking over to Alex. "You can't be saying what I think you're saying. You wouldn't."

"I've already tried," Damon said, his voice on the verge of breaking. A returning sadness entered his eyes. "She's set on sacrificing herself. Maybe you guys can knock some sense into her."

"I think I will," Katherine stated fiercely.

But Alex was already ignoring her very presence. She walked over to Damon, who was feebly sitting down on a plush chair. "Damon, give me the stone."

"Alex, don't you want to think about this?" Stefan asked gently. "I mean, think about Elizabeth. If you die, she'll lose you forever."

"She'll never lose me," Alex told fervently. "I will always be with her. But it would be better for the both of us if she had a dead mother than an undead mother."

The room was dim and silent. No one spoke, yet words were sent passionately throughout the room with only the eyes of each person. Elena looked on the verge of tears, like this sort of circumstance only added to a great deal of depression caused by the supernatural world. Stefan's jaw was locked tightly as he stared pleadingly towards Alex. With her mouth slightly open, Katherine appeared to be the most shocked of everyone. She looked at everyone in the room as if the whole idea was something out of a mental patient. Even Caroline looked sad and slightly anxious about the whole situation. But Damon's face distracted Alex from all the rest.

He would not make eye contact with her. With watery eyes, he looked down at the floor. His whole body was tense, and he seemed unconcerned with his injuries. Alex felt like crying as she stared into his heartbreaking face.

"Damon, please understand," she begged, short sniffles occupying her in-between breaths. "I'm not doing this for myself. I have thought to myself that I would rather die than be without Elizabeth, but this is really the best for her." She tried to give a smile. "And it could be the best for all of you as well."

"What are you talking about, Alex?" Katherine asked, a hint of bitterness in her voice.

"I'm talking about this sacrifice," Alex said eagerly. "As long as I go with them, they should have no objection to letting any of you join. If you want to become human again, this sacrifice can help you."

"But _you_ are the sacrifice!" Katherine exclaimed incredulously. "This is crazy! How could you want to leave us? You could live forever with us. We could be a family."

Alex stared coolly at Katherine. Slowly, she walked right up to the defiant vampire and took her hand. "Katherine, I need you to do something for me. And I think you'll want to do it."

"Alex-"

"Katherine," Alex interrupted calmly. "I need you to take care of Elizabeth for me. Would you do it?"

A look of disbelief and confusion filled Katherine's eyes. She opened her mouth and began to speak hurriedly and disjointedly. "What? You want me to take care of your daughter?"

"Yes," Alex answered. The uneasy breathing behind her showed Stefan and Damon's disapproval of this idea. And even Katherine was blatantly upset with this.

"You want _me_ of all people to take care of your daughter?" Katherine asked, almost showing disgust with the thought. "Didn't I spend hours telling you about all the terrible things I've done? Don't you know about all the people I've killed? No one would trust me with their pet hamster, let alone their daughter!"

"I trust you," Alex whispered confidently, taking the picture of Elizabeth from her pocket.

For a moment, she looked down at it, truly amazed by how fast her life had changed. This little girl had only just been in her arms less than a week ago. But she felt an overwhelming need to let go, and she shakily shoved the picture into Katherine's hands and began to cry.

"I trust you," she repeated tearfully. "You lost your daughter five hundred years ago. I think you deserve to care for one now. You've always had the ability in you. Now it's time to use it."

Katherine appeared both incredibly surprised and touched by this decision. In tears, she looked down at the picture of Elizabeth in her hands. Lovingly, she held the picture and gave a grin towards the smiling little girl. But a new expression of gratefulness was mixed with immense sorrow as she looked back up at Alex.

"Damon," Alex called softly, now turning to the man who appeared to be filled with grief and anger. "Damon, listen to me."

"I can't become a human off of your blood," he told heatedly. "I will not use you."

"My blood is just the gateway of something bigger," Alex suggested enthusiastically. "Don't think of it as using me."

"What is it then?" he questioned fiercely, looking up at her for the first time since they entered the house. "Are you going to tell me that I can get away with being a human by disregarding who you are? What about who you are to Elizabeth? Or who you are to me?"

An unpleasant silence filled the room. Even Katherine's soft sobs were unheard in the thick stillness. It appeared as if no one was even breathing, until Alex finally spoke.

"Whatever you choose, Damon," she started with a voice of new desperation. "I need for you to promise me something."

Damon rebelliously shook his head, but suddenly Alex rushed over to him and kneeled at his side. She powerfully took his hand and continued.

"Damon, listen to me," she begged with a shaky voice. "Elizabeth's father has never been in her life. She's never had a male figure to look up to. Damon, I need you to be that for her. Please, at least try. Damon?"

Now Damon's rage had diminished, and he looked only like a broken man. Painfully, he looked at her as a few tears fell from his eyes. His lip quivered once or twice as he firmly gripped Alex's hand in return. Though he seemed unable to answer her, he began to speak.

"I will, Alex," he told passionately. "I promise."

Now Alex was crying harder. As she stared into his eyes, she slipped her hand into Damon's other hand and took the stone from him. For one moment, she saw all the hope completely drain from Damon's face. And then she was immersed into another vision.

White and red filled her eyes again, and they slowly turned into a vivid scene. She was staring at the green-eyed vampire who appeared fully healthy now. They were in a forest that was most certainly close by. The green-eyed vampire gave an attentive nod, and then sped away. It all faded into red and white, and she was back with Damon in the living room.

"They're close by," she informed bluntly.

"What should we do?" Elena asked anxiously.

"Elena, you should go upstairs," Stefan suggested gravely. "I don't want them near you."

"Alright," Elena breathed. She embraced Stefan for a long time, and then reluctantly went upstairs.

"I…I can't believe that you would do this," Caroline whispered, her unexpected voice alarming Alex greatly. "You would really sacrifice yourself so we can be human again?"

"I need to," Alex said, giving a small smile. "Caroline, I know how much you want to be human again. I'm glad I can help you."

A hesitant grin came onto Caroline's face. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Abruptly, a loud bang was heard in the entrance hall. Stefan, being the closest to the doorway, left the living room to investigate. Without even a passing second, Stefan was being pressed up against a wall as the green-eyed vampire held him by the throat.

"No!" Alex exclaimed, rushing to both Stefan and the intruder. "Leave him alone! I'll go with you! Leave him!"

The green-eyed vampire gave a fierce glance in Alex's direction, and she could truly recognized him for the first time. Horrid memories of her kidnapping and murder reentered her mind, and an undying rage swelled within her. Angrily, she stared at the man, ready to compel him if it was necessary for him to let Stefan go. But eventually, he released his grip on Stefan and gave a calm look towards Alex.

"Ah," he started in a very posed voice. "You've finally accepted your purpose, I presume."

"Yes," Alex snarled heatedly. "But you must do something for me."

"Anything," he promised with a terrible smirk. His despicable eyes stared at her with a sort of hunger she could not stand to see.

"My friends here," she started. "You have to let them join you. They want to be human too."

The Enemy looked into the living room carefully, observing the small group of vampires. Damon was now on his feet, ready to pounce at any interruptions in Alex's plan. Katherine stood beside him, appearing even more ferocious.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt," he concluded with a sigh. "But, you see, there can't be any objection. Your little friends here can't jump me like common thieves."

"If they wanted to kill you," Alex whispered, "you'd already be dead."

That hideous smile invaded the man's long, thin, middle-aged face again. He fixed his short, curly hair cheerfully, and then gestured to the door in a gentlemanly fashion.

"After you, madam," he grinned with a malicious politeness.

For the first time, reluctance came over Alex. But it was not because of a lack of courage. Rather it was because she did not want to be separated from her friends by any sort of distance. But, suddenly, she felt Damon right by her side, and he took an unyielding hold of her hand. Together they walked out of the house, followed by Katherine, Stefan, Caroline, and the terrible green-eyed vampire.

They walked to the forest, and it was a long travel through the trees. Because the Enemy was leading from behind, he allowed no super speed, and cautiously watched every vampire's every move. More than once, Katherine suddenly slowed down, stepping on the green-eyed vampire's foot. This was most sincerely on purpose, Alex knew. Katherine was one who showed her dislike in even the most subtle ways.

Night had fallen by the time they made it to their destination. It was an eerie sight fit for the most horrible and ghostly of movies. A large, rectangular stone table stood in the middle of a small clearing, and symbols of all kinds were engraved onto it. There was a certain ancientness in the table as it stood on thin stands of handcrafted stone. Had it been here for ages? Perhaps it was even older than Katherine.

Standing beside the table was a tall man who looked quite ancient himself. He sported a short, tidy beard on his wrinkled face, and both his beard and his hair were white as snow. In his bright blue eyes was a kindness that Alex could not understand. Even sympathy could be felt in his gaze, yet he was a tool in this madness.

"Lay her down there," the old warlock ordered, gesturing to the table. Alex noticed an old, black book in his hands.

Alex would have gone on the table on her own will, but she could not let go of Damon's hand. Even as the green-eyed vampire pulled her away with such great force, it was clear Damon had a part in the unending union. But she eventually lay down on the table and took a deep breath.

"Is everyone here participating?" asked the old man, curiously observing everyone who surrounding him.

"By request of the sacrifice," the Enemy replied.

"I never considered you a gracious kind, Peter," the warlock suggested resentfully.

"Neither did I, Jonathan," Peter smirked.

"All of you must drink her blood now," Jonathan commanded in a tone that sounded full of boredom.

Though Peter had seemed like a sort of gentlemanly villain, he paid no attention to Alex's humanity at this moment. With an iron-like grip, his teeth bit down across her arm, and she let out a quick cry of pain. She felt the life draining out of her in a way that was unlike any way she had felt before. Not even Katherine and Damon had taken her blood so violently. But her feelings were more than that. She knew this life that was draining would never be returned.

"That's enough!" Damon suddenly yelled. Though Alex had her eyes closed in agony, she could feel the green-eyed vampire leaving her arm at once. There was a moment when only soft growls could be heard, and then Jonathan interrupted.

"Ladies first," he said, as if Peter had never even bitten Alex.

Slowly, Alex opened her eyes and saw Caroline looking at her with a most alarming face. She looked as if she would be sick, and her eyes were wide with fear.

"Um, excuse me," she started delicately, looking up at the warlock. "How much blood do I have to drink?"

"It doesn't matter," Jonathan answered plainly. "You can drink as _little _as you possibly can." Alex heard the bitterness in his voice as he said the world "little" and wondered just which side he was on.

After a few seconds of tension, Caroline leaned in and began to take some blood. She only drank for a few moments before backing away and looking at Alex with both sympathy and panic. Alex tried to give a reassuring look, but she could still feel the pain of Peter's agonizing bight.

Next was Katherine, and she seemed even more terrified than Caroline. She was clutching the picture of Elizabeth with crushing force, and her soft eyes were filled with tears. Before Katherine could do anything, Alex grabbed her hand weakly.

"Remember what I asked of you," she begged urgently. "Remember, Katherine."

"I will, Alex," Katherine promised hysterically. Slowly, Katherine moved her mouth down to Alex's arm and took only a few sips. Gratefully, Alex gave a feeble grin before wincing in slight pain.

When Stefan came next, he took her hand in his and held it for a while. Alex smiled at him devotedly. "If it weren't for you, I'd be the monster I was meant to be."

He shook his head quickly. "You were never meant to be a monster. You were always meant to be a great person. Alex, this still feels terribly wrong. But I must thank you."

"You'll visit Elizabeth?" Alex asked.

"Of course," he assured with a grin. He took his blood swiftly and was gone.

Damon's heavy footsteps gave Alex a sort of peace. He stepped up to the table and looked into her eyes with sincerity and adoration. She couldn't help but to smile.

"Elizabeth will be safe with us," he told with a grave passion. "I promise you, I'll never let her go."

"Thank you, Damon," she replied gratefully.

Without another word, Damon leaned towards her, but not towards her arm. He met with her right on her lips, giving her a soft, affectionate kiss that made her cry. Wherever she was going after this, she knew he would not be there, and she would miss him. But her heart remained strong, and she let go of his kiss willingly. When he took blood, it only felt like another peck, and she felt him leave like air in her lungs.

There was a long silence before Peter spoke. "If that is all, we shall continue."

She saw the warlock step up to the table, wielding a long wooden stake. It was almost too daunting for her to see something so deadly and painful that would so soon stop her heart. But as she looked up at her imminent death, a slight chuckled filled her mind. A stake, the most popular form of vampire hunting, was to be the thing that killed her. She realized not only that vampires were real, but that most every legend about them was based on truth. Perhaps she was going mad, but this idea amused her.

The bright light of the full moon in the sky blinded her for a moment, and she saw Elizabeth so clear in her mind. Laughing playfully, she was running in a field of many flowers, grasping just one in her hand, knowing that it was the special one. Only that flower held her heart.

Once more, she could see the stake, and she now heard some mumbling from the warlock. He raised the stake high in the sky and started to roar a language she could not understand. And then the stake fell.


	9. Epilogue

It was a dark, cold night in Brooklyn. The thick, frigid air seemed quite welcoming to snow, but none fell. There was only peace across the city, except for one neighborhood. Blanketed with anxiety and curiosity, a quiet row of houses seemed suspended from time. One house in particular glowed dimmer than usual in the night.

In the small house, an older woman was tucking her granddaughter into a small crib. The little girl was much too excited to sleep, but she was obedient and loving as well. After only a few minutes of her grandmother's pleading, she lay still in her crib and attempted to say goodnight. Her grandmother only laughed at how difficult words were for the little girl. She returned the polite gesture, turned off the light, and left the room.

Tonight, Margaret Johnson figured, she would get no sleep of her own, as was the ongoing circumstance these past week. Reluctantly, she picked up a cook book she had already read over fifteen times, and began staring at a picture of a roasted chicken with basil. She eventually sat down on the couch and lazily reread the recipe

The silent night was interrupted by a quiet knock on the door. Eagerly, Margaret rose from the couch and rushed to the door. A calling so late had to be important. Hopefully it was of the importance she desired.

When she opened the front door, she was greeted by an unfamiliar female sheriff and a beautiful young girl wearing thick, large glasses. They both stared at her with a certain graveness that was most frightening. The girl seemed in a state of shock herself.

"Ms. Johnson?" the sheriff called, her voice stern yet anxious.

"Yes?" Margaret replied shakily. "Are you here about Alex? Where is Sheriff Cooper?"

"I am Liz Forbes, the sheriff of Mystic Falls, Virginia," the woman informed. "This is my friend Katherine. May we come in?"

"Of course," Margaret said, gesturing them both in. She did not offer them to sit down, not out of impoliteness, but out of pure curiosity and fear. The seriousness of her visitors' expressions kept her in a state of incredible panic. But it seemed as if no one really intended to have a seat.

"Ms. Johnson," the sheriff began. "Your daughter Alex visited MysticFalls last week under unknown circumstances."

"Is she okay?" Margaret asked hastily. "Why didn't you bring her with you?"

The air in the room became filled with a pressure of great emotion. Katherine now had tears forming in her eyes, and Margaret could sense the horrifying information to come.

"Ms. Johnson," the sheriff sighed. "While she was there…Alex was murdered."

A strident shriek of despair emerged from Margaret's lips. She collapsed onto the floor and threw her hand over her mouth as tears quickly fell down her face. Both Sheriff Forbes and Katherine kneeled down to attend to the aching mother, but they seemed almost as upset as she was. Katherine broke into tears as well and gripped Margaret's hand weakly. For the rest of the night, the sheriff, Katherine, and Margaret stayed together, realizing just how heartbroken they were. No one dared to wake Elizabeth. The little girl's mother was now gone forever.


End file.
